Page 62 of Some Sort of Love (Happy Crazy Love 3)
“Another two words. Can I at least have four please?”
Taking another bite, I chewed and thought. “I like her a lot. There, that’s five.”
Another sigh. She put her Reuben down, a hurt expression on her face. “You’re punishing me. I get it.”
“Do you?” Haha, another two words. I kind of liked this game.
“Yes. You moved out because I was all up in your business, as Monica tells me, and now you’ve shut me out completely. Am I really that bad?”
I popped the final piece of my sandwich in my mouth and thought about how to answer that. “Sometimes.”
“Is that really why you moved out?”
“Monica said that?”
“Only because I was griping about never seeing you. She said you’ve been busy and told me you’d been seeing someone. I was shocked that I had no idea. And hurt. I want to be in your life, Levi. And Scotty’s life.”
“I know, Mom. And I want you to be in it. But you have to stop telling me I’m doing everything wrong.”
She put a hand on her chest. “I never said you’re doing everything wrong!”
“Well, that’s how you make me feel. Look, I know you think I screwed up and got someone pregnant.”
“Levi!” She sat back, her expression stunned, maybe even hurt. “I have never said that to you.”
“I guess I just felt it then. Like Monica did everything right—college, marriage, children—and I was the fuckup.”
“That is not me talking.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “My grandchildren are the light of my life and every one of them was destined to enter this world and be loved to pieces by me, whether they were a surprise or not. And your dad and I did not raise any fuckups.”
I had to smile at hearing her use that word, but it was short-lived. “You criticized me so much as Scotty got older that it made me feel that way. Like you thought I couldn’t possibly be mature or smart enough to handle parenting a child on my own.”
“Not once did I think that. All parents criticize their children’s parenting skills! It’s our right as grandparents!”
I considered that. “Maybe I was extra sensitive, then. I already felt bad enough that Scotty was going to grow up without a mother, and as he grew and it was clear he wasn’t a typical kid, I felt even less sure of myself.”
My mother leaned forward and spoke softer. “I could see that, Levi. So I tried to help the best way I could. I managed to raise two beautiful, smart, amazing people. I thought I had something to offer you.”
“You did,” I said. “You offered me and Scotty a home and helped me take care of him when he was a baby. I needed that, and I’m so grateful. But I got to a point where I really wanted to find my way on my own, and I couldn’t do that living in your house.”
Her shoulders slumped a bit. “I see your point. It’s hard not to mother your child just because he’s an adult, especially when he lives with you. I guess I saw you struggling and couldn’t resist trying to make it all better.”
“You can’t.” My tone was firm.
“Back to two words, huh?”
I cracked a tiny smile.
“I saw that,” she teased. Sighing, she sat up straight again. “OK. So no more criticizing. I will listen when you need to talk and try my very hardest to let you do things your way and not say a word, even if I disagree.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“And in return,” she went on smoothly, “please tell me more about Jillian. Monica said she hasn’t met Scotty?”
“Not yet.” I focused on the other half of my sandwich.
“I think that’s wise, really I do.”
/> I looked at her to see if she was being facetious, but her expression was earnest. “I think you two need time to get to know each other before you bring her into his life.”
