ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ʳᵉˡⁱᵉᶠ, ᶜᵃˡˡᵘᵐ ᵗᵘʳⁿᵉʳ

18

18 - mother knows best

CALLUM'S MOTHER'S HOME
london, england
march 29, 2024
friday
10am

callum and i stood infront of his mother's house. he was smoking a cigarette as he stared ahead.

i stood next to him, watching as the smoke curled from the cigarette hanging between his lips. his eyes were fixated on his mom's house, and i could sense the mixture of emotions he was feeling.

"you alright?" i questioned.

he took another drag, the smoke billowing around his face. "yeah, i'm fine." he said quietly, his tone betraying his nerves. "just need a minute to gather myself, i guess."

i raised my eyebrows, "what's wrong? you said you and your mom have a great relationship."

he nodded, his eyes still fixed on the house. "we do. in fact we have a wonderful relationship. it's just that...i'm bringing home a girl." he said before taking another drag. "and i haven't brought a girl home to meet my mom since high school." he added, his tone a mix of nervousness and excitement. i could sense the importance of this moment for him.

i placed a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "hey, it's going to be fine." i reassured him. "your mom and i have already met."

he looked at me then, his eyes locking with mine. a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "i know. but now she'll be seeing us together. as a couple." he said, his tone a mixture of hope and anxiety.

i smiled softly, understanding his concern. "i'm sure she's already seen it in the tabloids." i said lightly, trying to diffuse his worry.

he chuckled softly, the hint of a smile finally appearing on his lips. "yeah, that's true." he said as he took one final drag from the cigarette before extinguishing it on the step. "okay, let's do this." he said, looking back at me.

i nodded, feeling my own butterflies building in my stomach. i gave his hand a light squeeze before following him up to the front door.

he took a deep breath before knocking on the door. a moment later, it swung open, revealing his mom, julie, on the other side. a warm smile spread across her face as she laid eyes on her son.

"callum," she said, her voice filled with love, as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "i've missed you."

he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. "i've missed you too, mom." he said against her shoulder.

she leaned back from the hug and looked at him fondly. "you look tired, darling. you're not overworking yourself, are you?"

he chuckled softly, his expression sheepish. "just a little." he admitted. "we've been filming long hours."

"how come you're not filming today?" she asked curiously.

"we've got the day off." he explained, his hand finding mine as i stood beside him. "figured it was the perfect time to come visit you."

his mom's eyes shifted towards me then, and a warm smile spread across her face. "kacey! it's great to see you again." she said, her tone filled with delight.

i smiled back at her, feeling a wave of relief and ease wash over me. "it's great to see you too, ms. turner." i said warmly.

she scoffed playfully, waving off the formality. "please, call me julie." she said before gesturing for us to come inside.

we followed her into the house, the warm and inviting atmosphere immediately putting us at ease. the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air, and i had to resist the urge to steal one from the cooling rack on the counter.