HIS BEAUTIFUL SECRET (completed)

CHAPTER 25 - SO MANY MILESTONES

Jake and I spent the rest of the weekend shopping for his new apartment  He didn't want anything fancy, especially since he would only be there until he went to college. Still, it was fun to pretend to "play house" for a couple of days.

We were finally on the same page and everything felt right with the world. Jake and I were back together, mom wasn't going to bother me anymore and I was heading to Georgia Southern soon. Life could not have been more perfect.

The next couple of months brought one milestone after another. Our birthdays were only a week apart, so a couple of weeks after prom we celebrated them together.

My parents had never made a fuss over my birthday so when Jake whisked me away to Tennessee for a long weekend I was bursting with joy. That weekend felt like it was just the two of us, no one else existed in the world. 

We attempted to ski, and Jake made me take a ski class with a bunch of eight-year-olds. At first, it ticked me off but then I accepted that he was only doing it because he cared.

We walked through the village in town, sipping hot cocoa and of course hitting up the candy store. The mountains were so beautiful that they literally took my breath away, I never knew anything could be that beautiful. It was absolute perfection and I never wanted it to end but eventually, we did have to come home and back to reality.

The next occasion took me by surprise. One weekend I was over at Jakes just hanging out with him. He was in the shower when I heard a knock at the door.  I thought it was odd that anyone should be visiting but since he was pre-occupied I decided to answer it anyway.

When I opened the door there was a middle-aged lady staring back at me. I could tell immediately that she took very good care of herself. Her face shown barely any wrinkles in spite of her age. She had her hair perfectly pinned in a french twist with pearl stud earrings and a pearl choker.

It was clear that she spared no expense on her clothing as she sported a grey pencil skirt, blazer and high heels. She looked very smart and very expensive and she was staring at me so intently I thought she might bore a hole in me. The way that she looked at me with her stone cold eyes made me extremely uncomfortable.

I crossed my feet and fidgeted subconsciously, "Can I help you?"

She never broke her stare when she responded, "I would like to speak with my son."

Realizing that the woman in front of me was none other than Jake's mom, I invited her in and showed her to the sofa. Excusing myself, I hurried into the bathroom, where Jake had thankfully covered himself and made him aware of what awaited him.

You could see the uneasiness on his face but I had no words of wisdom, I was just as stressed as he was. While Jake rushed to get dressed, I offered her some water and assured her he would be out soon, retreating to his bedroom for safety.

I don't think either of them realized that I could hear everything from that room so when their conversation began, I got a front row seat. She had apparently come to persuade him to change his mind about everything and come home. His father did not know she was there and felt that he needed a healthy dose of "tough love."

She was willing to risk going behind his back to have her son in her life again. It was sweet really, but Jake was not budging an inch. He reassured her that he still loved her and appreciated everything they had done for him but told her he was not giving up UGA or me.

She tried to counter him by upping the ante and offering him more money. He sounded not only shocked but utterly disgusted. He response was laced with a tinge of disdain.

"Money cannot buy you happiness mom and it sure can't make you a better person. And that girl that you are referring to, doesn't have a penny to her name and she is the most amazing person I have ever known."