Honestly, I was more scared to tell her that I wanted to be a music major than I was about meeting Thomas. That should help anyone to understand who they were. I loved them. They were my parents, but I was pretty sure that I was just a pawn in their game for world domination.
I jogged over to campus today and made sure to breathe correctly - the entire way there. Thomas would be proud. I sat down on a bench outside the fine arts building that was secluded in a back corner near a small man-made pond that would soon freeze over and pulled out my cell phone.
I pulled up my contacts and found MoMsTeR and paused before hitting it to call her. Did I really want to do this? Should I wait to tell her that I was one of the luckiest people in the world?
No. I hit the damn contact, and it rang.
Maybe she wouldn’t answer.
“Darren, darling.” Her clipped throaty voice caught me off guard. She did answer. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah… Hi, Mom.”
She sighed. “Good. I really don’t have much time, so I was hoping you weren’t in an accident. I have a luncheon with some of the other ladies who are helping me organize the gala. I’m sitting in the car, so I’m not the first one there. You know how those bitches are.”
“Yes, I sure do.” I snorted. “Well, I…”
“What is it, Darren?” She sounded totally put out. “I really only have a few minutes, so spit it out. You need something, or you wouldn’t be calling. We never hear from you during school terms.”
Ouch. That felt pointed, but I knew it was true. “I… I guess that’s true. I mean, you guys are always busy, so…”
“I’m not saying you should call more. You’re in college and living the best years of your life. Trust me. But it’s nice to hear your voice, anyway. Now, what is it?” Mom was always straight to the point in a nice way if you can believe it. Dad beat down the door with his point and rammed it down your throat.
I sighed heavily, trying to find the words. “Did you ever hope that you would meet your fated mate, Mom?”
She laughed deeply. “When I was a little girl, of course, I did. But when you grow up, you realize that most people never do. It’s a one in a million chance, Darren. You can be just as happy without it. Most people are. Look at me and your father – two peas in a pod, wouldn’t you say?”
“Totally. But you wanted to?”
“Yes, very much.” The wistfulness of her voice made me sad, and I didn’t know why.
“I think I… No, I am sure that I have… uh…” I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump. “met mine.”
“Hold on, Priscilla! I’ll be there in a moment.” I could hear her finger going up in the air to stop someone’s approach. “What did you just say?” She whispered fiercely.
“I said that I found mine,” I repeated.
“How do you know this?” She sounded wary and a little scared by my admission.
“Trust me, there’s no way to not know.” My shoulders tensed at the thought of that moment when I first met Thomas.
“Darren… You’re so… young still. But… Did your heart beat so hard that you thought your chest might explode?” She sounded choked up. Maybe this was going to go better than I thought it would.
“All of the tell-tale signs that people say. Heart, pulse, the inability to speak.”
“Boy or girl? You know I don’t care, of course.” I knew that was true. Mom had tried to set me up with different boys and girls fromniceand proper families for years.
“Boy… uh… Well, more of a man, I guess. He’s twenty-nine or thirty.” I sounded sheepish.
“An age gap fated mates love story?” She laughed throatily again. “Well, aren’t you a trifecta? What does this man do for a living?” She asked slowly, and I knew that this would be the main test of how my family would feel.
“He’s very educated. He’s…”
“A professor? Oh, Darren… Well… It’s not what we were expecting for you, to be honest. Professors are usually… How can I say this? Poor?” There it was.
“He’s not poor. I mean, he does have a job, and I have enough money for both of us. Besides, one day I guess we… will have a family if everything goes right. Maybe he would want to be a stay-at-home dad? I have no idea. We are taking thingsveryslowly.”
“Slow is good. Donotget that man pregnant, Darren. You still have to graduate and go to law school, and… Slow is very,verygood. Where is his family from?” I had dreaded and expected this question.
