because I plan to change later on. I also haven’t told them about the tattoo and I don’t want to just yet… for reasons.
“You look beautiful as always, I just don’t want you overheating and getting sick on us.”
Aww, she’s the sweetest, still worrying about me like that. “Mom, I’ll be fine. Besides, there are lots of tents for shade and resting.”
“Mmm hmm.” She presses her lips together and eyes me for a moment before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.
“What are you doing? You have to pee? I can step out—”
“Is something going on with you and Jesse?”
Oh, boy. “Um…” I was hoping to avoid this discussion with my parents until after tonight, on the off chance they get upset about it. “What makes you think that?”
“Your father found a pair of boxer briefs in the bedroom when we brought our bags in.”
Shit. “I washed the sheets, don’t worry.”
“Hayden Elizabeth!” She swats at my arm and then, in a hushed voice, “You’re sleeping with him?”
My face flames hot and I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to. “I’m twenty-six, Mom.”
“Oh, my God!” She slaps her hands over her mouth and shakes her head. “Why haven’t you said anything?”
“Um, I think that’s obvious.” Being engaged to Lane and all of that.
“Oh, stop it.” She pokes at me again. “Honey, you know we aren’t those kind of parents. As long as you’re happy, so are we.”
I do know that, but I wanted to be sure about where things were going before I said anything.
“I love him,” I confess, sinking down onto the side of the bathtub. “I just… I love him.”
“I know you do.”
My eyes widen, even as tears gather in them. “You do?”
She nods and takes a seat on the closed toilet. “I mean, I thought maybe things had changed, but then you were all worked up about him coming to Jett’s party and, well, it wasn’t hard to figure out.” She takes my hands into hers and smiles. “Are you happy?”
“Uh huh.” I choke on a soft sob and she smiles even brighter, her feet tapping excitedly on the tile.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear this.”
“Really?” I swipe at a tear and she laughs.
“I adore that boy, Hayden. Your dad does, too. He’s a great father to Jett and he’s never been anything but respectful to you.”
Thank God. Not that it would change anything if they weren’t happy about it—I’ve already packed and moved everything Jett and I own to Cole Creek—but knowing they support the decision will definitely make the transition easier for all of us.
“I almost missed out,” I say with a sniffle. I tell her about the letter and, as hard as it is to admit, the reason why it took me so long to be honest about how I felt.
“Oh, Hayden. I had no idea. You never said a word about us losing the house.”
“I didn’t realize how much it bothered me until I was in high school and I didn’t want to embarrass you or Dad by bringing it up so many years later.”
“The things we lost… they were material, sweetie.”
“It wasn’t about the toys and the bike and the furniture…” Which I feel like I’m realizing for the first time, as I say it. “It was about feeling like we were losing us. Our foundation. What made us whole.”
Tears shimmer in her eyes. “We live here.” She places her hands over her heart and then mine. “We’ve always lived here. And even though that time in our lives was the hardest, it was also when your dad and I were the closest. When we became the strongest, too.”
“I was so stupid,” I rasp. “I looked at it all wrong.”
“You weren’t stupid.” She thumbs away my tears and smiles through watery eyes. “You had to go through that for this, with Jesse, to mean what it does. In fact, if none of that had happened, you might not have met him. You might not have Jett, either. Can you even imagine?”
No, and I don’t want to try. Jett is my life and Jesse… he’s my everything.
“Does he know how you feel?” Mom asks.
“I’ve told him, but I planned on reiterating it tonight during the fireworks.”
She does her eager little dance again, just as there’s a knock on the bathroom door.
“Everything okay in there?” Dad calls.
“Yes, dear.” Mom makes a zipper gesture across her lips and winks. “Just going potty while Hayden does her makeup.”