Tied Together (The Cade Siblings Duology #1)

44. Alex

CHAPTER 44

Alex

We’re halfway through another week and I’m becoming more and more optimistic about us leaving at the end of the month. At first, I was a bit worried we wouldn’t get everyone hired and ready to go in time, and our trip would be extended, but we only have one more editor position to fill and Alana has been working with the new hires this week to get them trained and working.

Up until now, she’s been picking up all of the slack with little assistance from me, a fact I have been frustrated by, but she’s assured me she has it handled. Ever since the scare we had, she’s been a lot better about not bringing work home. Our new living situation has also helped me keep an eye on her, not to mention the fact that we share a bed now.

Alana went out for a run, so I decide to check in on my mom and fill her in on everything going on here. I tap her name on my phone and hold it up to my ear, waiting for the call to connect.

“Hi, sweetie.” Her voice instantly warms me and I feel a tinge of homesickness come over me.

“Hey, Mom. How are you?”

“Oh you know, just trucking along. Not much is going on here, Banksy and little Hallie are keeping me company.” I snicker at her nickname for him. He hates it, but he loves my mom so he’d never tell her to stop.

“I’m glad they’ve been around. Why don’t you take them to dinner next time they’re around, my treat?”

“They eat dinner here often, but sure I’ll take them out on the town next week. That would be nice.”

“Good. Take ‘em somewhere fancy.”

“It’s a date,” she says, and I can tell by her tone of voice that she’s smiling. “Now how are things there? How’s that girl of yours?”

My mom has suspected there was something going on between Alana and I for a while now. Probably because I speak about her often, even though I never noticed it until Banks pointed it out to me a while back.

“Things are good. We’ve almost hired all of the editors, so I think we should be good to come back when we’re scheduled to. The people at the office here are mostly nice and the editor-in-chief is great. We get along really well.”

“That’s great sweetie, I’m happy to hear it. I can’t wait for you to be back home.” She pauses, probably waiting to see if I’ll go on, but I don’t so she asks, “And Alana? How are things with her?”

“They’re really good, Mom,” I say, a smile appearing on my face against my will.

“Like… good , good? Or just good?”

“Good, good. We’re together.”

“Oh my goodness, since when?” Her sweet excitement for me squeezes my heart and I wish I was in front of her and sharing this news so I could experience it first hand.

“Not long, it’s been a little over a week. We had a maintenance issue at our old apartment and had to move to a much smaller one. It’s a one bedroom and I guess it sort of pushed us together.” It’s true, but it’s not the whole truth. Alana did a lot of work to overcome her fears, but that isn’t my place to share with my mom.

“And it’s going well? I know you’ve liked her for so long. I just can’t believe my baby has a girlfriend!” She’s really going for it now. I haven’t been in a serious relationship in a while, the last time I was in one was in college and we amicably split ways after a few years.

“Things are going well. I think this one is pretty serious, at least it feels that way, but we’ll see when we get back to the States.”

“That is just the best news. I can’t wait to meet her.” I can’t wait for my mom to meet Alana, either. She is one of the most welcoming people and was always willing to bring friends into our home and feed them and show them a loving environment. I know Alana is missing that from her parents, and hopefully she’ll have the opportunity to mend those eventually, but I’m hopeful that my mom might help ease the sting of those missing relationships in the meantime.

“How’s the dynamic between the two of you in regards to that promotion?” This is a great question, and one I don’t really know the answer to.

“We’ve barely discussed it, and I’m a bit worried about it to be honest. She really wants this promotion and I know it would be great for my career, but I don’t feel strongly one way or the other. It would feel wrong accepting something when I know I don’t really want it. Is that silly, to turn something down that would be an advancement for me?”

“Not if it’s not what’s best for you, honey. If you’d rather stay in your current position and that’s what makes you happiest, that would be an advancement just as much as a promotion would be.”

She always knows exactly what to say and I’m grateful to have her to lean on and talk through these things with. I take it for granted way too often.

“Thanks for saying that, Mom. I really needed to hear it.”

“You’re certainly welcome. Just see how it plays out and if you get offered the promotion you can make whatever decision feels right for you.”

“I can do that.”

“Good. You should get something in the mail pretty soon. I sent something for Alana as well.”

“Mom, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh, hush. I can do whatever I want, I’m your mom. Banks helped me take it to the post office and get it sent out.”

“Thank you, really,” I say, hoping she can feel my sincerity through the phone.

“You’re welcome. I’ll let you go, I know you have all sorts of things going on there,” she says with mischief in her tone. I laugh at her and smile.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, honey.”