Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(56)

And once again, there would be no escaping to Jake’s. Just thinking of him caused the familiar ache to burn its way through my chest. It was hard imagining the summer without him, least of all my entire future.

Damn, why did everything have to change? I mean, once you got used to something, it had to change. People came into your life, and then they left it. It seemed so pointless.

I didn’t have much time to piss and moan since time was ticking. I rushed upstairs and caught a quick shower. Then I threw on some old clothes and headed to the church. I found Greg and some of the other groomsmen getting ready. Mom and Greg’s wedding party resembled something out of an extras scene for a major movie! There were ten groomsmen and ten bridesmaids.

After we took some preliminary pictures, the guests started arriving. I pulled duty escorting people to their seats. As I was standing in the church foyer with some of the other ushers and groomsmen, Grammy strode up to me. “Don’t you look handsome, Noah!”

“Thanks.” In truth, I knew Grammy preferred my tuxedoed self far more than my usual scruffy look.

“Oh, your mama wants to see you.”

“Okay.”

I headed back to the room where Mom was getting ready. I rapped lightly on the door. “Mom?” I questioned, poking my head in the door. “We’re about ready to start.”

“I know. Come on in, sweetheart.”

She was standing before a huge three sided mirror. When she turned around, I sucked in a harsh breath as a wave of emotions crashed over me. “Wow!”

I’d never seen her so beautiful in all my life. Her dress was this strapless thing with lots of shiny beady stuff on the top part with a smooth, satin bottom, and it had a long train. I knew it was the dress she’d always dreamed of. Her long hair was swept back, and a glittering tiara sat on top of her head.

Mom smiled. “So, do I look okay?”

“You look more than okay,” I replied, as I walked up to her. I kissed her on the cheek, trying not to smudge her makeup. “You look breathtakingly beautiful.”

Tears shone in her eyes. “Thank you, sweetie. From you, that means the world.”

“It’s the truth. You’re gonna knock Greg’s socks off.” After I said it, I cringed inwardly. I really didn’t want to think about anything like that—I’d already seen enough of their sex life.

Mom stared at her reflection. “I feel so bloated.”

I shook my head as her barely visible baby bump was carefully concealed under the fabric of her dress. “Quit fishing for compliments,” I joked.

She laughed. “All right.”

Grammy poked her head in. “Just a few more minutes.”

As soon as she left, Mom turned to me. “Noah, I want to talk to you.”

“Um, okay, but didn’t you hear Grammy?”

“Yes, I did, but I want to say something to you.”

“Okay.”

Mom drew in a deep breath, and I got the impression I was about to hear something deeply profound. I shifted nervously on feet, silently praying she wouldn’t start crying. Grammy would kill me if Mom came out looking like an alcoholic raccoon with a red nose and her mascara running down her cheeks.

“Noah, I know that things are about to change, and our lives will never be the same. For almost eighteen years it’s been just you and me.”

“Yeah, it has.”

When Mom took my hand in hers, I braced myself. She was about to lay some serious shit on me. “I just want you to know that I’ve thanked God every day for giving me you. Even though you weren’t planned and the situation was hard, I wouldn’t trade any of it for a second. You’ve been the greatest accomplishment of my life.”

Holy shit. I stared at her in disbelief. The woman was a doctor for Christ sake, and she was telling me I was her ‘greatest accomplishment’. It was almost too much. I started to feel like I was under the surface of the water again as my lungs constricted in panic. Frantically, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

“Wow…I, uh, don’t know what to say,” I mumbled.

She smiled. “You don’t have to say anything—I just wanted you to know that. I’m sure things are going to get crazy when the baby comes and you at college, so I might not have another opportunity.”

Grammy rapped on the door. I squeezed Mom’s hand and drew in a ragged breath. “Yeah, well, I’m the one who outta be saying the thanks and stuff. You know, thanks that God gave me such an awesome mother.”

Tears sparkled in Mom’s blue eyes. “Noah, that’s so sweet!” she cried.

I groaned. “Stop, you can’t cry now! Grammy will kill me!”

She laughed and gently dabbed her eyes. “Okay, okay, I’ll turn the waterworks off.”

Grammy didn’t bother knocking again. Instead, she threw the door open. With a broad grin and in her twangy drawl, she exclaimed, “It’s time, sugah!”

Mom and I both inhaled deeply. When we got to the doorway, I gave her my arm. “Ready?” I asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” she murmured. But the moment the doors opened and she saw Greg standing before her, her mouth widened into a radiating smile. And as much as I hated to admit it, the look on Greg’s face was one of absolute adoration. And that’s the only way I would have had it. She’d been through shit, and so had he. Mom told me about how the only girl he’d ever loved had gotten killed just before their wedding. When he started dating Mom, she was the first real relationship he’d had in years.