Succeeding Love

Natural Mom

Feighlynn

“Hey, guys!” I said excitedly, maybe a little too excited, as my kids walked through the door, just getting home from school. “I missed you!”

Preston gave me an odd look as I hugged Jessie. I tried not to read too much into it and kept up the upbeat vibe.

“I’ve got dinner in the oven! Meatballs!”

“Yay!” Jessie cheered and giggled as she skipped up the stairs.

Preston hung back, still staring at me. “Everything okay, mom?”

I frowned at the question. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because,” he scrutinized me again, “you’re hyper. Something happened.”

I couldn’t deny something happened, but I also wasn’t ready to talk about it, especially with my kids.

“Go put your stuff away,” I murmured, busying myself wiping down an already clean counter in my kitchen.

“Everything okay with Vin?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” I replied.

Preston raised an eyebrow at me. “Because you’re acting weird.”

“You’re acting weird,” I retorted. “Go put your stuff away. Bring your game stuff down so it can soak in the basin before dinner.”

He sighed, shaking his head, but walked off to do what I told him to do. My son picked up on everything and would still be suspicious, but I couldn’t tell him about what his father did today. That wouldn’t go over well.

As I was checking the meatballs, Kevin went nuts in the front room. I thought nothing of it, thinking maybe a cat was maybe too close to the front yard, but then the doorbell rang.

I closed my eyes as I sighed, willing for it to not be Nick again. I couldn’t be held responsible for what I did if he was back, and I really didn’t want to do anything in front of the kids.

“I got it!” Jessie yelled, beating me to the door.

I slowed my pace and listened, growing more suspicious.

“Hey, Jessie!” I heard a much more welcome voice than the one I had expected. “How are you? Did you have a good rest of your weekend?”

“Hi Mr. Vin. I did! I got to pick out a new bed and ate pizza twice.”

“That sounds fun,” he chuckled. My anxious mood lifted just hearing his deep laugh. “Is your mom here?”

“Right here,” I emerged around the corner where I had been hiding and listening in.

Vin had a gentle expression on his face as he took me in. His smile was infectious. I had just seen him several hours ago, but I realized how much I missed him in that short amount of time.

“Hey beautiful,” he said, making my insides melt.

Jessie giggled, then turned to skip up the stairs. “I gotta get the washer before Preston fills it with his stinky baseball stuff.”

“Oh, no,” Vin’s smile spread across his handsome face. “Not stinky baseball gear.”

“She got one of his jock straps tangled with her leotards during football season, and it scarred her for life.”

“Poor girl,” he pulled me in for a hug now that Jessie was out of sight.

“I know. I’m starting to save for her future therapy now.”

He laughed, brushed his fingers against my face as he gently cupped it in his hands. I closed my eyes as his lips met mine, chasing away so much of the tension I’d been carrying in my body all afternoon.

“Hi,” he whispered in a deep raspy voice, resting his head on mine.

“Hi,” I giggled. “Long time no see.”

“I know. It felt like a lifetime,” he teased, still holding my face in his hands.

It was crazy how decompressed I felt now, just standing there in my doorway with him. I had spent the better part of the afternoon in this awkward state of depression and anger. The thing with Nick happened right before lunch, so I had little time to process before then. Then, seeing Vin’s colleague, it just magnified my irritation with my ex. It felt like Nick was ruining everything that had to do with Vin for me.

But he couldn’t ruin this. This moment with Vin now, where the entire world and the problems in it faded away. So all that was left was the man before me, holding onto me and making me feel like I was someone special.

“How was work?” I leaned into his touch, focusing on the now and not the past.

“It was good.” he slid his arms down to wrap around my waist. “Lunch was my favorite part of the day.”

I laughed softly, feeling the same way. “Mine too.”

He sighed, then asked what I knew was coming. “So, you wanna talk about it?”

He didn’t need to explain what “it” he was referring to. I knew he would be curious. If I was in his shoes, I would be too.

“There’s really not much to talk about. Nick showed up before I left, saying all kinds of nonsense. I told him the truth and left.”

“The truth?” Vin raised his eyebrows.

I softly let out a weary sigh, then told him, “He told me he wanted me back. I guess he and Arlene broke things off. He was adamant about me hearing him out, but I told him to kick rocks and leave.” I stared up at Vin through my eyelashes, catching the tightness around his eyes. “It’s been irritating me all day, though. I wanted to kick him.”

“Maybe you should have,” Vin said in a dangerously low voice.

“Maybe I should have,” I agreed.

“I can always do it for you,” Vin offered.

“That’s sweet,” I laughed dryly, “but I think I said what needed to be said. I even cursed at him.”

“Oh no,” the corner of Vin’s lips curled up in amusement. “Not cursing.”

“My words packed quite the punch,” I lifted my chin.

“Oh, I bet. Especially with cursing.”

“You’re teasing me.” I narrowed my eyes.

He chuckled softly. “No. I just think you’re cute. I’m trying to just picture you saying any curse word to your ex instead of focusing on how much I want to beat his ass for making you upset.”

A blush burned on my cheeks. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is, Lynn. I’m laughing because you’re cute, but I really just want to punch him in his arrogant face.”

I pursed my lips. “He has an arrogant face, doesn’t he?”

“So fucking arrogant,” Vin smiled.

He rested his head on mine again, making the moment stretch into this warm, fuzzy feeling. I was so irritated earlier, upset with not just Nick, but even myself for making Nick think I was a pushover to begin with. I didn’t feel like a pushover with Vin holding me. I felt like I could do anything.

~

Preston

“What the crap,” I muttered under my breath after hearing what dad did to mom today.

I know I shouldn’t, but I was listening at the top of the stairs to their entire conversation. When I heard the doorbell ring and Vin’s voice filtered up all the way to my room, I couldn’t help myself. I honestly thought that he was the reason for mom’s bad mood.

Mom always acts the same way when she’s down. She acts overly chipper to the point she looks awkward. We had to see it for months after dad left. Seeing her act that way again after spending the weekend with our new neighbor, I thought he had set her off. I did not know it was my dad.

“What are you doing?” Jessie asked, coming into the hall with a laundry basket full of clothes.

“Uh, checking to see who was at the door,” I murmured, then narrowed my eyes to her basket. “I called dibs on the washer.”

She stuck her tongue out at me, then hurried down the stairs. I chased after her, forgetting that mom and her boyfriend were being all kissy face at the bottom. Vin and mom leapt apart from one another, guilty expressions on their faces. It was laughable, but I didn’t have time to laugh if I was going to beat Jessie to the washer.

“Hi Vin. Bye Vin,” I yelled, chasing my screaming sister.

“Mom! He’s trying to steal the washer!”

“Mom! I called dibs!” I yelled back.

I caught Jessie right as she was running with her hand full through the kitchen. She screamed, then laughed as I tickled her sides. She tossed the basket in the air, so dirty clothes went everywhere.

“STOP!” Jessie howled.

“Say it. Say I get the washer!”

“NO!” She kicked and bucked, unable to throw me off.

“Preston,” Mom had her disapproving tone. “Quit. You don’t even have your laundry together yet.”

I stopped tickling Jessie, but held onto her arms so she couldn’t get her stuff and get it in the washer before me.

“Mom, she had a washer at dad’s. She had all weekend to do clothes. I have to wash my uniforms.”

“I don’t want to use it after you wash your nasty cups, you jerk!” Jessie tried to twist free.

“Then do the laundry tomorrow!”

“No! My favorite jeans are dirty.”

I scoffed, then looked at mom pointedly, hoping she would see how unfair Jessie was being.

“Let your sister go,” mom said firmly. “Jessie can wash her jeans on the quick cycle while you soak your stuff in the basin. You know grass stains need to soak, anyway.”

I pressed my lips together, then admitted, “My favorite jeans are dirty too.”

Vin, who was leaning against the counter watching us with an amused grin, laughed softly. Mom shook her head and sighed, but didn’t look that upset. She was back to her normal self.

“Why don’t you wash your jeans together?” Mom offered.

“Eww, gross,” Jessie gagged as she gathered her clothes back in her basket. “His clothes smell like a boy.”

“I am a boy, you dork.”

“That’s why you smell so bad!”

“Guys,” Mom laughed, shaking her head. “You’re both being silly.”

“No, she is!” I pointed at Jessie.

Jessie huffed, turning her nose up as she walked towards the laundry room.

“Why don’t you just use the washer at my house?” Vin offered. “It’s right across the street and empty. Mom only does laundry on Thursdays, anyway.”

“At your house?” I lifted my eyes skeptically. “Isn’t that weird?”

“Why would it be weird? It’s resourceful,” he shrugged.

I looked at mom, and she shrugged too. “If you want your jeans washed now, it’s your only option.” She then grinned at Vin. “And then you and your mom can come over for dinner. We’re having meatballs!”

Mrs. Velma couldn’t come for dinner. She said her favorite show was about to come on, but mom had me take her over a plate of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and salad when I went to switch my laundry. She was grateful and was quickly distracted by a soap opera. It felt weird at first going into their house with my dirty clothes, but she didn’t pay any attention to me, so it felt normal pretty fast.

Vin stayed at my house, helping mom in the kitchen as she set up for dinner. Every time I walked in they would jump apart, mom with a red face and Vin looking smug. They were worse than the couple at my school. If mom didn’t look so happy, I would have thrown up ten times by now.

Dinner was fun. Just like in the restaurant in San Antonio, Vin took care of mom, helping her to serve her food and pouring her water. He did the same for Jessie, who sat across from him, too.

We talked. We laughed. Mom more than anyone. What usually would be a twenty-minute dinner turned into two hours, but no one seemed to notice or care.

Then, there was the way Vin would look at mom. Jess and I both noticed it. When mom would laugh, giggle, or get engrossed in any part of the conversation, Vin would stare at her with eyes like he never wanted to look away. He would smile and wrap an arm around her chair, or lean in to get a closer look at her.

Sometimes he would notice Jessie or me catching him and sit back nervously, an embarrassed look on his face. No one could deny that he really liked our mom. Jessie even whispered it to me when Vin got up to get mom a napkin when she spilled sauce on the front of her shirt.

I had never seen mom happier. She wasn’t fluttering around, trying to serve him. She wasn’t flustered or trying to mask her usual playfulness. She was herself, and completely at ease.

She could never just be herself with dad. Even at their best, she would still have to cater to my dad’s needs, while many of hers were overlooked. Even what we ate back then was cooked to my dad’s tastes. He hated spaghetti and most other Italian food, so we never ate it, even though mom loves it.

Vin went on and on for about ten minutes about how good the meatballs were. I think he had three helpings, and even ate the leftovers from mom’s and Jessie’s plates.

Eventually, Jessie had to go do her homework, and I had to get my laundry from the Trude’s house. That left mom and Vin alone in the kitchen, doing dishes side by side. As I was leaving, mom was showing Vin how to blow soap bubbles through her fist. Kevin was jumping at her feet, catching them in his mouth.

Vin was exactly what my mom needed. She could be herself with him, and he seemed to like every single one of her quirks. I was worried dad would sneak back into mom’s life, but I don’t think Vin would let him. Vin himself said that he wanted to punch dad in the face, and mom didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

I might punch dad in the face next time I see him. Vin probably can’t, but dad couldn’t do anything to me.

When I got back to the house with my full, clean laundry basket, Jessie shushed me right as I was walking through the door. She was hiding around the corner of the foyer with a mischievous smirk on her face. After jerking the basket from my hands and setting it on the ground behind her, she grabbed my arm and yanked me to hide behind the wall, too.

“Shh,” she pressed her finger to her lips, then pointed around the corner towards the kitchen.

Music was softly playing, as it usually was when mom did dishes, but then I noticed that, other than the music, it was completely quiet. I hesitantly looked around the wall, peeking into the kitchen, and that was when I saw Vin and my mom dancing. Her arms were stretched up to wrap around his neck and he was bent over to rest his face against her.

When they passed by the entryway gap, I saw my mom’s feet on top of his, like a toddler dancing with an adult. Considering how tall he was and how short she was, it worked. It almost made me laugh out loud. I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hand to stifle it.

“That’s so sweet!” Jessie whispered right in my ear. “Do you think he will let me dance on his feet, too?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I totally think he would.”