“Oh sweetie, she’s fine. She’s just a little early,” Mom reassures me. “Michael is with Penny. She’s doing great. Everything is okay.”
I nod, taking a deep breath to push back my tears.
“Michael will let us know any new information, but they aren’t having more people in the room right now,” Dad finishes.
“Who’s your escort?” Mom asks in a voice that isn’t nearly low enough for Ant not to hear.
The Mothman is standing near the door, his antennae low against his head, shielding out some of the harsh hospital lighting. His shoulders are high near his ears. A very strained smile plastered on his strange features. In his dark, tailored suit, and purple tie, with Tetris patterned socks peeking out of his pant legs, he looks handsome. I barely had time to notice just how handsome he looks before now.
“He’s a friend, Mom. He gave me a ride to the hospital.”
“Just a friend?” she asks with a sly smile. “Invite him over here.”
“Mom. We’re here for Penny.”
“Penny is fine, dear. Introduce us to your gentleman friend.”
I glance over my shoulder at Ant. He stands patient and firm near the door.
“Hello, dear!” Mom waves at him over my shoulder.
“Mom, please don’t.” I roll my eyes, but Mom coos and motions him over.
Ant sheepishly approaches us. I’d be scared to disobey her right now as well. Her red hair may be fading to gray, she may barely reach five foot two, but she has the air of a woman capable of browbeating you into doing whatever she asks.
I don’t really mind my family meeting Ant, until my father shakes his hand and I’m reminded where those long dark fingers were less than an hour ago.
I laugh at the thought, and then have to put my hand over my mouth to stop it from continuing. Mom shoots me a glare that promises consequences if I don’t contain myself.
I manage to squash down the noise. Thirty minutes pass and my brother shows up. Twenty minutes after that, when it is obvious that my mother is getting on my nerves, Ant volunteers the two of us for a snack run. He walks me to the vending machine, where he immediately spends way too much money.
“I told you.” I take a third bag of chips from his hands. “I already like you. You don’t have to buy me things.”
“Yes, but this is so yourfamilywill like me,” he says with a boyish grin.
“My mother clearly adores you,” I point out. “And Dad will love you if you bring up your vintage game collection. Paul will just be happy that there’s another man in the family. And Penny, well, Penny will like you if you like Penny. And you’ll like Penny. She’s the most likable person I’ve ever known.”
“Very important information.” Ant leans toward me to whisper conspiratorially into my ear, making my heart do a cute little somersault. “What I’ve learned here is, you want your family to like me.”
“You just said you wanted them to like you!” I protest with a laugh.
“Yes, but it’s important toyouthat they like me.” He leans just a little bit closer, and I think, for a moment, that he’s going to kiss me again, in the middle of this hospital, in front of the vending machines. It shouldn’t be romantic at all. But we are well past the friendship stage, or even the friends with benefits stage. I like him more with every passing moment.
“Piper?” Mom calls as she rounds the corner. Ant smoothly turns away from me, handing my mother a bag of chips as he makes his way back to my family.
“He seems really nice.” Mom takes one of the bottles of water from my armload.
“He can be.”
“How long have you two been together?”
“He’s just a friend.”
She shakes her head like she’s disagreeing with me. “No. He’s really into you. Mother’s have an intuition about this. You can trust me.”
I bite my lip to stop from laughing. This isn’t something I need a mother’s intuition for. “We are keeping it firmly in the friend category, for now.”
“For now,” Mom repeats the phrase very seriously as she opens her bottle of water. “How does he feel about kids? Have you asked him?”
