one thing that she could always count on though was that her eccentric mother had her best interests at heart. She tried to remind herself of that fact even as she began to pray.
“So,” Aurora continued, giving her closely cropped afro a pat, “if my memory hasn’t failed me, you’re also the little boy who crashed his father’s brand new Lexus in his back yard.”
Asher smiled. “It was a BMW, ma’am. And the car was mine.”
“ Is my memory also flawed in thinking that your father had to bail you out of jail for getting into bar fights, disturbing the peace, and who knows what else?”
Asher winced. “I’ve been known to spend a night in jail.”
Her mother hummed as she blatantly sized Asher up. “You’re not planning on having my daughter leave her safe home at three in the morning to save you from some urine soaked cell, are you?”
“I don’t do that anymore,” he said and Ariadne laughed. After a second Ash joined her while her mother watched the two of them curiously.
Aurora shook her head. “Is there more of that lasagna in the kitchen?” At Ariadne’s nod, her mother stood. “Come fix your mama a plate,” she ordered.
Ariadne followed her mother to the kitchen. She took a plate down out of the cabinet. Aurora leaned against the counter and watched as she sliced into the lasagna. “He’s handsome, charming, and fascinating. He’s the exact opposite of every man I’ve ever seen you date.”
“Well, Mom-”
“I love him. He’s perfect. So much better than that last weasel you dated.”
Ariadne blinked. “Mom, the man just told you he was known to get arrested and that he wrecked a car and you like him better than Daniel, an upstanding doctor.”
Aurora made a face. “He was a lady part doctor. Ew.”
She shook her head. There was no understanding her mother’s logic. She had always been rather eccentric. At thirty, she’d decided that she wanted to have a child. Rather than get married, she chose in vitro fertilization. Aurora said she’d never met a man who she felt like she could put up with on a permanent basis. Apparently, she still hadn’t. She went through men like disposable tissues. Though her mother had slowed down in recent years, Ariadne thought that perhaps her mother’s dating style was the very reason why she was so cautious about the men she chose.
She took out a wine glass and Aurora stopped her. “Better not. I’ve got to drive home after this. I won’t stay long. I don’t want your husband to think that his mother-in-law is a cock blocker.”
“ Mother! ”
“What?” Aurora shrugged. “You’re newly married. He just moved in. Surely you have better things to do than entertain. Water will be fine.”
Filling a glass with water, she said, “Can you please try not to embarrass me?”
Aurora picked up her plate. “I can’t promise. You’re embarrassed by the strangest things.”
Ariadne carried the water to the dining room, apprehensive of what calamity was about to befall her.
“Finished talking about me?” Ash inquired with a smile when they took their seats.
Ariadne barely contained a groan. Neither of her dinner guests was known for their restraint. She mentally girded herself for a very trying meal.
“So, Ari tells me that you’re a lawyer. Do you intend to get a job at one of the firms here?”
“I discussed it with my father. He wants to open another office here.”
“Well, that’s perfect.”
Ash nodded. “I thought so as well.” He sipped his wine.
“When can I expect my grandchildren?”
Asher almost choked on his wine and Ariadne giggled. He was finally getting a dose of his own medicine. Ash coughed a few times, but when he recovered, he was quick to throw the heat on her. “That depends on your daughter,” he said. “I’m happy to start right away.”
As her mother’s gaze swung her way, she said, “We’d like to be on our own for a year or two. Plus Ash is going to be busy starting the new
“So,” Aurora continued, giving her closely cropped afro a pat, “if my memory hasn’t failed me, you’re also the little boy who crashed his father’s brand new Lexus in his back yard.”
Asher smiled. “It was a BMW, ma’am. And the car was mine.”
“ Is my memory also flawed in thinking that your father had to bail you out of jail for getting into bar fights, disturbing the peace, and who knows what else?”
Asher winced. “I’ve been known to spend a night in jail.”
Her mother hummed as she blatantly sized Asher up. “You’re not planning on having my daughter leave her safe home at three in the morning to save you from some urine soaked cell, are you?”
“I don’t do that anymore,” he said and Ariadne laughed. After a second Ash joined her while her mother watched the two of them curiously.
Aurora shook her head. “Is there more of that lasagna in the kitchen?” At Ariadne’s nod, her mother stood. “Come fix your mama a plate,” she ordered.
Ariadne followed her mother to the kitchen. She took a plate down out of the cabinet. Aurora leaned against the counter and watched as she sliced into the lasagna. “He’s handsome, charming, and fascinating. He’s the exact opposite of every man I’ve ever seen you date.”
“Well, Mom-”
“I love him. He’s perfect. So much better than that last weasel you dated.”
Ariadne blinked. “Mom, the man just told you he was known to get arrested and that he wrecked a car and you like him better than Daniel, an upstanding doctor.”
Aurora made a face. “He was a lady part doctor. Ew.”
She shook her head. There was no understanding her mother’s logic. She had always been rather eccentric. At thirty, she’d decided that she wanted to have a child. Rather than get married, she chose in vitro fertilization. Aurora said she’d never met a man who she felt like she could put up with on a permanent basis. Apparently, she still hadn’t. She went through men like disposable tissues. Though her mother had slowed down in recent years, Ariadne thought that perhaps her mother’s dating style was the very reason why she was so cautious about the men she chose.
She took out a wine glass and Aurora stopped her. “Better not. I’ve got to drive home after this. I won’t stay long. I don’t want your husband to think that his mother-in-law is a cock blocker.”
“ Mother! ”
“What?” Aurora shrugged. “You’re newly married. He just moved in. Surely you have better things to do than entertain. Water will be fine.”
Filling a glass with water, she said, “Can you please try not to embarrass me?”
Aurora picked up her plate. “I can’t promise. You’re embarrassed by the strangest things.”
Ariadne carried the water to the dining room, apprehensive of what calamity was about to befall her.
“Finished talking about me?” Ash inquired with a smile when they took their seats.
Ariadne barely contained a groan. Neither of her dinner guests was known for their restraint. She mentally girded herself for a very trying meal.
“So, Ari tells me that you’re a lawyer. Do you intend to get a job at one of the firms here?”
“I discussed it with my father. He wants to open another office here.”
“Well, that’s perfect.”
Ash nodded. “I thought so as well.” He sipped his wine.
“When can I expect my grandchildren?”
Asher almost choked on his wine and Ariadne giggled. He was finally getting a dose of his own medicine. Ash coughed a few times, but when he recovered, he was quick to throw the heat on her. “That depends on your daughter,” he said. “I’m happy to start right away.”
As her mother’s gaze swung her way, she said, “We’d like to be on our own for a year or two. Plus Ash is going to be busy starting the new
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