Jordan shrugged. “I appreciate that. But you should apologize to Annie, not to me.”
She nodded. “Yes. I should.” She moved away. “Well, I need to get going.”
“Thank you for your help, Mrs. Thomas. It means a lot to Annie.”
She paused at the door. “Jordan…please call me Clara.”
Jordan smiled. “Thank you. I will.”
* * *
“He looks just like Jordan.”
Annie smiled. “Loraine, he looks like Matt.”
Loraine laughed. “Well, Matt and Jordan looked alike.”
Annie went over and hugged her. “It’s okay to say he looks like Matt.”
Loraine sighed. “I miss him so much sometimes.”
“I know.”
Loraine sighed again. “Well, this little fella is going to be spoiled rotten, I can assure you that.”
“I have no doubt,” she said with a laugh.
“Where’s Jordan?”
Annie laughed. “I left her out on the deck with my mother. She caught us kissing.”
“Oh, poor Jordan.”
“Poor Jordan what?” Jordan asked as she came into the room.
“I was telling her my mom caught us kissing.”
“Yeah, thanks for leaving me out there,” she said.
“What did she say?”
“She said she could tell that we were in love.”
Annie’s eyes widened. “She said that? My mother?”
Loraine laughed. “Not to embarrass you, but she did ask me how you…well, managed things.”
“Things? Oh my God. Like sex?”
“Yes.”
Annie covered her face with her hands. “Please say the two of you are not discussing our sex life.”
Jordan laughed. “How could you possibly explain it to her? Do you even know?”
Annie held up both hands. “Stop it. Both of you. We’re not having this discussion. Ever.”
“Well, it wasn’t like I went into details,” Loraine said. Then she winked at Jordan. “Much.”
Annie pointed at the door. “Out. Both of you.”
Jordan laughed. “Come on, Mom. How about a glass of wine?”
“Sure. And I should call your father.”
Jordan turned back around, a smile still on her face. “Come join us?”
Annie nodded. She took one last look at Jacob, then linked her arm with Jordan. “I adore your mother, you know. But I’d really like it if she and my mom would not discuss lesbian sex.”
Jordan leaned closer and kissed her cheek. “You said you wanted your mother involved in your life.”
“Funny,” she said dryly.
“By the way, your mother said I could call her Clara.”
“Oh, my God. What has happened to her? It’s almost as if she likes you.”
Jordan nodded. “I told you she’d come around.”
Annie stopped. “Yeah, you did, didn’t you?” She leaned closer and kissed her. “Thank you. You always make everything okay.”
“I didn’t do anything, Annie. Your mother knows you’re happy. She can tell. Despite everything, that’s all any mother wants, isn’t it? For their kids to be happy?”
Annie met Jordan’s gaze. “Yes. It just took her a long time to realize that.” Annie kissed her again. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Jordan. I love you so much.”
Jordan didn’t say anything as she pulled her into a tight hug. They stood that way for a long minute, holding each other, talking without words. It was new to Annie—being able to communicate with someone this way. Then Jordan loosened her grip and Annie pulled away.
“Just so you know,” Jordan said. “I never thought I could be in love like this. I sometimes wonder if I’m not dreaming all of this.”
Annie smiled. “If it’s a dream, then please don’t wake me up.”
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