Only One Mistake (Only One 6)

“Max was an asshole when we met him,” Matthew says, pointing at Max. “And then he stole my sister, and we still love him.” The five of us laugh.

“Let’s go sit,” his mother says to me. “And get to know each other.” Her hand falls from my face, and she grabs my hand. I walk with her. “Everything is going to be okay,” she whispers to me. “I promise.” I look at her, and my heart settles. She looks at me without judgment and without accusation, and at that moment, I know my baby will be so loved.

Chapter 21

Michael

I watch my mother hold Jillian’s hand in support as she walks to the living room. “Idiot,” I hear from beside me and look over to see my uncle Matthew shaking his head. “Why would you let her think that?” He puts his hands on his hips.

“Did you even talk to her?” my father whispers, looking down the hallway that they just went down. “All this is not good for the baby.” He shakes his head. “Did we not teach you anything?”

“I told her you guys would love her,” I finally say, my heart sinking in my chest thinking about how scared she was. “I know that it would never cross your mind.”

“Hey, three stooges,” my mother hisses out in a whisper. She glares at all of us. “Get your ass in here.” She points toward the living room. “I can just imagine the stupid things you guys are planning.”

“One, we aren’t planning anything,” Matthew says. “And two”—he looks at my father—“why is she so angry? What did you do to her?”

My father shakes his head. “It’s him.” He points at me. “He did that.” Turning his finger back to my mother.

“What did I do?” I hold up my hands and look at my mother, who is not happy with me.

“You need to go and make sure she is comfortable.” She points at the living room. “And then we will come and join you.”

I nod at my mother and walk into the living room and see Jillian looking around. She sees me walking into the room, and she smiles. “You live here?” she asks, her eyes moving all around, “I don’t even want to touch anything.”

“I’m staying here for now,” I say as I walk toward her and sit beside her. “It’s Erika’s place.” She nods as she continues to look around with her hands on her lap. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” she answers quietly. “I mean, the big talk is coming, right?”

I hold out my hand to grab hers. “It’s not that big of a talk. They just want to get to know you.” Her fingers link to mine, and I’m not letting them go. I want to make sure that my parents and my uncle know we are united in whatever happens here today.

She nods, leaving her hand in mine as she leans to the side for her water bottle. “I didn’t want to put it on the table,” she answers the question in my eyes. “I was afraid of the ring marks.”

It’s my turn to glare at her. “Put the bottle on the fucking table, Jillian.”

She glares at me, and I think she is about to ream me a new asshole when my parents come into the room with Matthew. They walk over to the couch facing us and smile at her when they sit down. “I really wish I would have been able to warn you about them,” I say, and the three of them look at me. “You guys can be a bit much.”

“We haven’t been formally introduced,” my father says. “But my name is Max, and this is my wife, Allison.”

“Why do you have to be all, ‘this is my wife’?” my uncle says. “We get it, she’s yours, we know.”

I lean in to whisper to Jillian, who smiles at the exchange. “This is crazy. They actually are best friends, but neither of them admits it. They always troll each other. But,” I say, watching them exchange words, “they have each other’s back without question.”

“It’s nice to know,” she says as she watches them.

“Anyway,” I continue. “These are my parents, and that is my uncle.” I look at Matthew, who smiles. “And this is Jillian.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” she says with a smile, and I can feel her hand shaking in mine. I squeeze it, and she looks over at me. “Forgive me for being nervous.”

“There is no need for you to ever be nervous,” my mother assures her. “Ever.”

“Thank you,” she says, looking down at our hands. My thumb rubs her finger. “I’m sure this is a shock to you.”

“Why don’t we start with the easy questions?” my mother says with a small smile on her face. My father puts his arms around her. “Michael tells me that you are a teacher.”