Our Life Together

17

At the end of the night, Quinn tucked Beth in in her own room before returning to Judy in the living room.

Quinn sat down on the couch and looked at Judy. "I know you're hard on me because you want me to be a good mother, but I'm doing my best. I've always done my best, Mom."

"Putting a boyfriend before your daughter isn't doing your best." Judy argued.

"I've never neglected Beth for Noah." Quinn stated. "He knows she comes first, and he's respected that."

"You neglected her when you were going out on dates and leaving her with your friends." Judy pointed out.

"I wanted to make sure he was good enough to meet her before he met her." Quinn clarified.

Judy didn't say anything.

"I had to tell Beth about her father." Quinn stated softly as she looked at Judy. "I had to tell my five-and-a-half-year-old that her dad decided to walk away from her when she was a baby and hasn't even tried to see her since then. And you have no idea what that was like."

"Quinny, I-"

"You're the only family we have." Quinn continued. "And I want you in my life and in Beth's life, but I'm not gonna let you call me a bad mother or go against my parenting choices of my daughter anymore."

"I never said you were a bad mother." Judy said.

"You didn't have to say it." Quinn responded. "And you don't have to agree with everything I choose to do for Beth, but you have to respect it."

Judy nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you." Quinn said.

Judy took a deep breath as she looked at Quinn. "Please tell me all about your boyfriend now."

Quinn raised her eyebrow.

"I wanna know." Judy insisted.

"He stayed in Lima to check in on his family and his sick grandmother, but he'll be here in a day or two." Quinn told Judy.

"Does he have a name?" Judy asked.

"His name is Noah." Quinn said with a small smile.