Finding You

Mrs. Porter

"Anything I should know?" My voice wavers. The harder I try not to be nervous about meeting his mom, the worse it gets. The worse my hands shake.

"She doesn't have a filter and she really liked Sarah- probably still does. But I have us a hotel already booked so we can escape when she becomes too much." He takes my hands and brings them to his mouth. "She's going to love you though, okay? She'll see how happy you make me and that'll be all she needs to see." He kisses my hands and I wrap them around his neck.

"Promise you'll still love me even if she hates me?" He smiles and kisses me.

"There's not a thing she could hate."

He grabs my hand and walks me to the door. Instead of knocking, he opens the door and goes in.

"Mom? We're here!" He kicks his shoes off and I step out of my flip flops, following his lead.

"Bradley! Oh, I have missed you." A woman with strawberry colored hair pulls Bradley into a tight hug, one that seems to last forever.

"I missed you too, Mom, but if you don't let me breath, you'll miss me a lot more." She let's him go and grabs his face, turning his head to look him over.

"You look good. Clean. Healthy. Are you? Washing often? Eating well?" She asks and it becomes overwhelmingly obvious that she has overlooked me, or ignored my presence all together.

"Mom, I'm well. I'm being taken care of. There's someone I need to introduce you to." He moves her hands away from him and turns his attention to me. Her eyes look me up and I become aware of every single flaw that can be seen from her eyes. "This is Natalie Robinson." He introduces me and I'm not sure if I should shake her hand or stand still while she looks at me like I'm in a test tube.

"You're skinny. Not like Sarah but you have beautiful skin. May I?" She asks me and I blush. Nodding slowly. She brings her cold hands to my face and turns my head to look me over. I look at Brad, who seems flustered.

"Mom, you need to slow down a little. This is your first time meeting Natalie." He touches her shoulders and she ignores him.

"Very beautiful skin and so clean. And by the looks of it healthy. Have you been taking care of my Bradley?" She asks me and a small smile creeps to my lips.

"As much as he'll let me, ma'am." She smiles at me, for the very first time.

"Yes, he's a funny one, isn't he? Always been that way."

"I'd love to hear all about his childhood."

"Can we not do that?" Bradley asks and his mother uses one hand to swat at him.

"I think it's important for this one to know." She tells him and I look at him confused. Did Sarah not hear about his childhood?

"What's different about Natalie, mom?" He asks, essentially confirming my thoughts. His mom looks me in the eyes and takes a deep breath.

"She has honest eyes. Listening ears. Small nose. You picked a good one this time." I blush.

"Okay Mom. You're scaring her." Brad tries to pull her from me and she turns her head.

"I don't think I am, Son. I think she's strong, this one."

"How do you know that? How do you know any of this?" I ask her softly and she smiles.

"Because I pay attention. I notice the little things."

"Has Bradley told you much about me?"

"A little. The rest is in the way you look and the way you carry yourself." Interesting.

"How do I carry myself?" I ask softly and she grabs my hands, holding them tightly in hers.

"Straight and tall, confident. Except when I turned to you. You hunched in. You dropped your shoulders, made yourself smaller. You're nervous. Ah, but you turn your whole body to me, meaning I have your full attention. You're curious. Leaning towards me, intrigued maybe?" I take a deep breath in. Is all of that really written in my body?

"You're just not at all what I expected. I knew you'd be lovely because you raised a really amazing man but you've thrown me for a loop." I tell her with a small smile. She nods.

"I take it you're observant too?"

"Escape artist that one. Always knows how to exit the quickest." Bradley chimes in and I turn to him. I forgot he was there for a minute.

"Yes, the ones capable of making themselves small tend to be quick. However, you seem to have learned that trick after you were a child. Someone taught you how to be small." She takes my breath away and I blink. She can't possibly have any clue. Brad doesn't even know the extent of Alex's influence over the years.

"Mom, you've shocked her. She needs a minute." Bradley grabs her hand and she nods.

"Never shrink yourself to make a man feel taller than he deserves." She gives my hands to Bradley and I let him pull me to his chest.

"My ex-husband always wanted to be the successful one, the one who did everything and fixed everything." I tell her, taking comfort in Brad's scent around me.

"And now you have someone who shares the spotlight. Gives you love and warmth and security." She smiles, proud of the man she raised.

"He gives me so much more than I could possibly deserve." Tears fill my eyes and threaten to spill out.

"No, I think this is a good match. There is balance, a gentle give and take. A way about this that puts me at ease. This is a match that was written from the start." She smiles and rubs my arm before walking away from us. When she's finally gone, I take a deep breath to try to calm myself. There's no way. That didn't happen.

"I told her to be on her best behavior. I'm so sorry." Bradley apologizes and I shake my head, causing the tears to fall.

"Don't be sorry. It was a bit bizarre but it was nice. She was nice." I don't know what to say. I'm shaken. My brain is fried to say the least.

"She likes you more than Sarah. I think our time here is going to be interesting."

"What makes you say that?"

"She's never wanted to go through my childhood with someone before. I guarantee she's pulling out the photo albums as we speak." I smile and look up at him.

"I cannot wait to see those pictures. We're you the cute, chunky kid with glasses?" I ask playfully.

"No glasses. I have perfect vision. I did have braces though."

"Sexy. Tell me more." I raise an eyebrow and he shakes his head.

"I played baseball."

"Oh? Think you still have those pants hanging around somewhere?" I ask and he blushes.

"My mother keeps everything. If I can sneak them out, we'll bring them to the hotel with us."

"If not, I'm buying you a pair. I need to see you in baseball pants."

"You're a different breed, Natalie." He kisses me softly.