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“Hi. You’re Nate, right?” I say, standing and walking over to the little boy. I stretch my hand toward him. “I’m Isabella.”
“My uncle’s girlfriend?” He doesn’t really say it like a question, more of a fact. He’s incredibly perceptive and sharp.
“Yeah,” I reply.
He shakes my hand, offering me a toothy grin. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve never met any of my uncle’s girlfriends before. You’re really pretty.”
“Aw, and you’re so charming.”
“He gets it from me,” Graham calls out. “Hey, Mom.”
There’s no longer any animosity in his tone as he greets his mother and I’m so glad. I look up at her. Ava Steele is a little quiet as she takes it all in, a pensive expression on her face. She offers her son a quick grin before looking at Nate.
“You can go play in your old bedroom, honey. Your uncle’s left all your toys untouched.”
Nate grins and lets out a whoop before rushing in that direction. And after a few seconds whereby mother and son share a few loaded looks, Graham leaves as well. My heart sinks as I watch him go. Since she arrived in town a week ago, I have yet to have a conversation with his mother.
Graham’s been busy all week. There was some issue at one of the company’s warehouses. According to Graham, a fire broke out and a couple of people got injured. He flew out to D.C. to take care of it and was there for a few days. Since he wasn’t in town, there wasn’t any reason to be here.
I clear my throat, feeling a little awkward. I’ve never met the parents of anyone I’ve dated before so this is an entirely new experience.
“You don’t have to feel weird, Isabella,” Ava says with a warm smile. “Have a seat. We need to talk.”
Well, that sounds foreboding. I take a seat on one of the stools and she takes the one opposite me. There’s nothing menacing in her expression, but I can’t be too sure. What if she tells me that she doesn’t approve of our relationship or something? I know how much Graham cares about his mother, so her approval is absolutely vital.
“Did Graham tell you what happened last night?” Ava questions.
I nod. Apparently, they finally had a conversation about her choices.
“He said he was in a better place now that he’s talked to you about everything,” I tell her, wondering if she’s uncomfortable with the fact that he discussed her marriage with me.
“We should have talked about it a long time ago,” Ava says on a sigh. “But I think I was scared. Graham can be so headstrong sometimes. And he was carrying so much anger in his heart. I couldn’t find it in me to be angry at him, though. Because I knew he was mostly angry at himself. He needed that outlet and I guess I unwittingly allowed myself to become it.”
“He cares about you a lot,” I tell her quietly.
“I know he does. But out of everyone, he’s had the hardest time coming to terms with what happened in the past. I’m not proud of my actions, Isabella, but I’ve made my peace with them. And yesterday, I managed to convince Graham to make his peace with them, too. I know that would never have happened without your help. You have no idea how grateful I am, honey.”
She places a hand on mine, her gaze soft. My throat tightens.
“I only got him to pull his head out of his ass. He tends to place it there a lot,” I say jokingly.
Ava smiles. “Don’t I know it,” she states. “I’m so glad he has you now. Growing up, I think he always felt like there was no one on his side. I tried my best to raise him to be a great man, I always felt like my efforts weren’t enough. I lied about how I met his father because I was ashamed to tell him the truth and I guess I waited too long. ”
“I’m sure you did the best you could.”
“Yes, but maybe I could have done better,” she says. “But that’s all in the past. Graham managed to change all on his own. He found the right path eventually, and now he’s in such a good place. He’s matured a lot and I know I have you to thank for that.”
“I only gave him a little nudge. He did it all on his own, Ava.”
“Despite all that, I have no doubt that you were a huge factor. You’re good for him.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure her. “That big doofus is stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”
His mother laughs, her eyes becoming glassy. “That’s great, sweetie. He also told me about your family.”
My heart sinks slightly at that. I understand that my family being in the mafia could be such an issue. I know very well that his family, especially his father, will have serious problems with it.
“Well, we can’t always control the desires of the heart, honey. Even people in completely different worlds somehow find each other, and there’s no way to extinguish the light, so you may as well ignite it.”
