“I just know that you’ve never really been the tidiest, and I wanted to make sure that our Chloe didn’t get frightened off.”
Our Chloe? And so it began.
“I had planned to sneak out before you two came in, but you know me when I bake. I get so wrapped up that I lose all track of time.”
“Me, too.” Both my mother and I looked at Chloe as she stood tall once more and stepped closer to my mother. “Me and my mother can lose an entire day in the kitchen. It’s always been that way, set out to make one thing but you can’t ever just stop at one.”
“Exactly.” The two of them were facing one another and smiling. I stood back, silently observing, still unsure of how I felt about all of it.
Then I watched as my mother took Chloe’s hand and pulled her to the counter where they started talking to one another like I wasn’t even there. Talking of measurements and a pinch of salt here. Crimping the crusts and kneading the dough, working side by side like they’d been doing it for years.
I didn’t have a kitchen table only a small section of counter with two barstools that separated my kitchen from the rest of my loft. My place was just one big room, with the exception of my bathroom. It was the only place with a door inside my place. My bedroom sat on a platform in the back corner, my living room just before. There was nothing fancy about it, nothing tidy and put together, just a jumble of stuff that never really felt homey and welcoming, until now.
***
What felt like hours had passed as I led my mother toward my front door and out into the hallway. It may not have been far to her car, but I wasn’t about to send her out into the darkness alone. I would make sure she was safely inside and buckled, then as she drove away, I would join Chloe upstairs.
“I really like her, Landon.” With my arm over my mother’s shoulders, I pulled her toward me a little tighter. “She is so sweet and down to earth.”
“I like her too, Ma.” And after watching her with my mother, that had only intensified. This woman was definitely not the kind of girl you didn’t fall for. She was the kind that stuck, the type you wanted around whenever possible, the one that kept a man grounded and reminded him of all the things that truly mattered.
“Good values, sweet as a kitten.” Her choice of wording made me smile bigger than I expected. Kitten, that couldn’t be closer to the truth. Chloe was sweet and kind, but she had a side to her that, when it was called for, she could hiss and frighten the hell out of a man.
“I should go so that you can get back upstairs to her.” My pulse quickened as I imagined her in my place waiting for me. “You better hold onto that one. She is adorable.”
With a nod, I gave my mother a kiss on the cheek and ensured she was inside her car before closing the door behind her. As she pulled away, she offered a smile and a wave. Staring after her taillights, I thought of the words she’d left me with. You better hold onto that one. Imagining just that didn’t frighten me; it didn’t make me feel anxious or nervous. Instead, it excited me. I wanted that.
Taking the stairs to the second floor two at a time, I reached my door and paused just outside to catch my breath. Running in there breathing heavy like a crazed man wasn’t something I wanted.
A few deep breaths and I felt calmer as I twisted the knob and stepped inside. Leaning over on the small island that separated the space was Chloe. The weight of her upper body rested on her elbows as she looked down at something in front of her. One fingertip pressed to her lips as if she was deep in thought.
I stood in the entryway staring at her, wondering for a moment what it would be like to come home and find her cooking dinner or snuggled on the couch waiting for me to join her.
Hearing me, or feeling me staring at her, she looked up and offered me that sweet smile of hers. “Hi.” Redness filled her cheeks, and I offered her nothing in return, simply shut the door behind me and began walking toward her with purpose. I noticed the way she watched me, standing tall and turning to face me as I rounded the counter.
“Is something wrong?” A concerned look crossed her face. “Did I say something I shouldn’t?”
Cupping her face, I moved in closer, and she tilted her head, looking up at me. Her blue eyes creased at the sides as she worried her lower lip.
Still without saying a word, I pressed my lips to hers, feeling her body shudder against my own.
“Nothing is wrong.” It’s nothing more than a whisper to her lips. “It seems my mother is one of your biggest fans.” When I felt her smile against me, I couldn’t help but do the same. “I’d say she likes you almost as much as I do.” Instantly, I missed her lips when she leaned back so she could look me in the eyes. “Somehow I thought when I saw her that tonight might just be a disaster. My mother is overbearing and pushy.”
“She’s sweet,” Chloe corrected.
“Watching the two of you together was amazing.” Apprehensively, she looked away, and I forced her to return her attention to me. “It was perfect,” her chest rises as
