“Oh. Well, I wish he wouldn’t go along with her so much if he didn’t want to.” Not that Caleb didn’t get it. His mom was hard to say no to.
“I can see that. I just thought you might want to know.”
Caleb pondered that while the veg softened, then poured eggs into the pan. “You think I’m being too hard on them?”
“Fuck no.” Hawk wrapped around him from behind,hands on his belly. “They aren’t good for you? Then don’t deal with them. I can tell you’re really down about it.”
“Honestly?” He glanced up, begging a kiss. “I just don’t want you to think poorly of me.”
“I don’t. We all have our shit, baby. I think you’re amazing.”
He grinned, his heart lighter at the idea that Hawk really liked him as he was. “Good. Now, don’t let me burn these eggs. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
The airport felt even crazierthan normal. Traffic had been a bear on the way, but Hawk had made it on time to meet his folks at the curb and not have to drive around or wait in the cell phone lot forever.
“Hawk! Oh, honey, it’s so good to see you!” His mom rushed forward to greet him, his dad wheeling two roller bags over to the curb, smiling indulgently at Mom.
Hawk caught her into a hug, lifting her clean off her feet.
She laughed, whacking his shoulder. “You put me down. Oh, it feels warm here compared to Maine.”
“It should be in the seventies today.” Early April had turned off warm in Denver, while they were still dealing with the snowstorm fallouts in Maine.
“That’s wonderful. I want to go to the zoo.” She let him hand her into the passenger seat then helped Dad with the suitcases. He got a back-pounding hug from Dad, too.
“How’s it going, son?”
“Good.” He grinned. “I put the seat up for Mom, so sit behind her.”
“Where’s Caleb?” Mom asked. “I want to meet him!”
“He’s at his final doctor appointment today for his foot. They’ll clear him to walk, I hope, though he’ll still needphysio. He took a ride share, but we’re picking him up for lunch.” He got them moving, ignoring the honking and craziness from the airport drivers. “How was the trip?”
“Fine, fine,” Dad boomed from the backseat. “We had a nice breakfast at the airport, but that was a while ago.”
Mom rolled her eyes at him, the gray he got his from, her lashes insanely long and dark. “We had a breakfast sandwich at Dunkin’.”
“Ew.”
His dad made an outraged sound, but honestly, that was foul. One thing he’d learned in Colorado was the appreciation for good coffee. Coloradans loved that stuff almost as much as craft beer.
“Well, I’ll get you something great for lunch, okay?”
“ça a l'air incroyable.” She beamed at him, then proceeded to quiz him about Caleb until they pulled up at the ortho’s office half an hour later.
“Mom.” He parked, then turned off the car to turn to face her. “Be good, okay? Caleb hasn’t had the best family life, so he’s a bit skittish about meeting you guys.”
Dad snorted, the sound loud and full of humor. “Pure futility, son.”
“I have to try.” He tugged out his phone to text Caleb.
We’re here. You ready?
OMW
“Let me get in the back. I know he’ll probably still be very sore and want to stretch out his legs.” Mom patted his shoulder.
“Oh, but—” He sighed, because she hopped out and moved to sit in the back with his dad, and Hawk rolled his eyes before getting out to wait for Caleb, leaning on the SUV to watch for him.