When we arrived back at Emma's place, it was late and the lights were off. I didn't bother going into the guest room and just curled up with Emma. Before I knew it, there was light streaming in from the window, and the door creaking.
"Emma, are you-" I heard Mrs. Chamberlain start. I leaped up, throwing the covers off of me. "Oh!" she yelped in surprise.
Emma shifted. "Mom!" she gasped.
"I'm sorry for intruding, I'll just-" she stuttered, slamming the door shut.
"Oh. My. God." I groaned.
"Oh, that was so bad." Emma laughed, tucking a pillow under her arm and lying down again. I collected myself, and made my way towards the door, but ran into Grayson.
"Hey-whoa, Mrs. Chamberlain made brunch, did she tell you?" he asked, holding his hands out to stop me.
"Tried. I think the sight of a dude spooning her only daughter stopped her." I said shamefully.
"Oh, shit." Grayson laughed, "I wish I was here for that."
"It's not that big of a deal, probably," Emma said with uncertainty. "She's cool, I swear."
I groaned again. I needed to shower, so I made towards the guest bathroom, mentally kicking myself. After showering, I prepared myself to face Mrs. Chamberlain. Emma and Grayson were already seated when I slid in next to Emma.
"Good morning, help yourself!" Mrs. Chamberlain said cheerfully. I smiled at her. As we ate, we made small talk, and I realized how similar Emma was to her mother. It was a weird parallel. After we had finished, I started cleaning up and ended up in the kitchen next to her, as she washed dishes.
"I've heard so much about you, and Emma's described you pretty accurately," Sophie informed me.
"That's good to hear, I hope," I replied.
"Absolutely. She really likes you, and I'm so glad she has you and Grayson to depend on with adjusting to LA and everything," she explained, placing a Tupperware on a drying rack.
"We get it. We moved to LA when we were 15. It was easier because we had each other, too." I explained.
"Oh, yes, that must have been a shock. Props to your mother, I was hesitant to let Emma go." Sophie said.
"Yeah, it took a lot of convincing, that's for sure," I said honestly.
"You're brave to take on Emma. She's a character." Sophie said fondly.
"I think she's great. I really do." I said. I caught Emma's eye from the table and smiled. She grinned back at me, miming two hands talking to each other. Making fun of Mrs. Chamberlain and I. I motioned her into the kitchen.
She obliged, walking in and pressing close to me, resting her hand on my hip. I slung my arm around her shoulder.
"I checked the weather. Most people in our area are heading back." Emma announced.
"You think we should go?" I asked.
"If you think it's a good idea," Emma replied.
"I think you should go check on your stuff." Mrs. Chamberlain interjected. "God, I hope your houses and apartment is okay."
"It will be," Emma said confidently. "You ready to go home?"
"Ready to go home, but not face reality," I said.
"Amen," Sophie commented, putting the towel down.
"We should head out in an hour. Give us enough time so you don't have to drive in the dark." Grayson added, entering the kitchen.
"Alright. Let's pack it up." I decided.
