“Self-esteem.”
I laughed and clapped my hands, shaking my head twice. “Mathias. You can’t give someone self-esteem. That has to come from within.”
He did the so-so hand. “True, but it can’t come from within until the condition or cause keeping it from happening is gone.”
“I don’t even understand this conversation,” I admitted, rubbing my temples in confusion.
He took my hands down and held them. “I was thinking about the text your dad sent.”
“I’m not buying them an air conditioner, Mathias. I’m not going to cave this time.”
“I know you aren’t, but I’ve been thinking about something for a few weeks now,” he explained, bringing my knuckles to his lips to kiss.
It was strange living in a world where Mathias was this intimate with me all the time. The hand-holding, the brush of his lips against my temple, and the hot kisses of desire were giving my head and my heart constant hope. This was a different man than the one I knew a year ago. I loved that man, but I didn’t always like him. I loved this Mathias, but more than that, Ilikedhim. He was letting Mattie guide him more. He wasn’t afraid to show empathy or help people. That, in a nutshell, was what Mattie was. Mathias wasn’t a boy anymore, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t remember who he wanted to be all those years ago.
“About my parents?”
He nodded.
“What about them?”
“About getting them out of your life.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Good call. Do you have a way to do that without putting them in the grave? If you do, I’d love to hear it.”
“I do,” he answered immediately, “but I need your permission for the lawyer to draw up the paperwork.”
“What lawyer to draw up what paperwork?” I was suddenly extremely nervous about the turn in the conversation. “I don’t want you to set them up or have them arrested.”
He lowered a brow and stared me down. “Do you honestly believe I’d do either of those things, Honey?”
After holding his gaze for a moment, I shook my head. “No, I’m sorry. That wasn’t what I meant. You blindsided me with this, and then you mentioned a lawyer. The way I grew up, when a lawyer got involved, that always meant you did something wrong. You know my issue with not being able to process well on the fly.” My shoulders slumped, and I dropped my head. “I have to stop using that as an excuse.”
“Honey, stop,” he whispered, cradling my face in his hands. “You can’t help how your brain processes information. It’s the reason I’m bringing all of this to you now. I want your parents out of your life. It’s time for you to stand up straight and be the Honey I know you want to be. You’re a strong, confident, loving woman, and I want you to be free of them.”
“I try to do that now, but—”
“But every time you start down that road, they come back into your life and screw it up again.”
“Not untrue.” I laughed softly. “I don’t know how you think you can stop it from happening, though.”
“I’m going to pay them off.”
“Come again?”
“Just what I said. I was thinking about it on the drive back. I have enough money to make your parents go away forever. I can provide them with housing and a retirement fund that will take care of them until they die.”
“Mathias, they can’t manage money. You know this.”
“Which is why a money manager would disperse the funds, and that would be a condition of the contract. Your father would have to work until retirement age to see a penny of it unless he becomes disabled. Your mom is considered legally disabled now, right?”
“Yeah, Mom’s heart surgery saved her life, but she has no stamina. After all the drugs she’s used over the years, she’ll never get it back.”
“I can make them go away, Honey,” he insisted, squeezing my hands. “I’d do anything for you. You know that. I want to do this for you, but first I need your permission.”
“Mom and Dad will just come back for more. They’re takers. You know this.” I shook my head with frustration. “It won’t work.”
“That’s where the lawyer comes into play. A contract is signed that is legally binding. If they break it and contact you, outside of the death of either one of them, they lose the money in the retirement account and the house. They will have full opportunity to take the contract to a lawyer before they sign if they wish, but once they sign it, it’s done.”
