“Mom, please.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Please?”
“This is a lot, Hunter.”
“Just give me some time to figure it out,” I practically begged.
“You should’ve figured it out before you slept with her,” Mom said.
I flinched.
“I’m falling in love with her.” The words left my mouth before I could soften them. The truth was out now. Mom went completely still. All the anger drained out of her face so fast it almost made me feel worse.
“Oh,” she said.
I swallowed. “Yeah.”
“Oh, honey.”
“Don’t do that.”
Her eyes filled.
“Don’t cry,” I pleaded. I hated to see tears in her eyes. That didn’t happen often.
“I’m not crying. My son just told me he’s falling in love for the first time since his heart was obliterated. Excuse me if my eyes react.”
I looked toward the ceiling. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything.”
She stepped closer. “Does Catherine know?”
“No.”
“Hunter.”
“I’m not dumping that on her while she’s already scared and guilty.”
“She looked scared.”
“She’s worried about disappointing Cole and Holland. She thinks this will ruin how they see her.”
“And you?”
“I’m worried it will ruin her life,” I admitted.
Mom’s face softened again. “That’s a big thing to carry.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But hiding won’t make it smaller,” she said with her soft mom voice.
“I know that too.”
She studied me for a long moment. Isla’s bedroom door opened wider.
“Dad?” Isla appeared in the doorway, one hand on her stomach. “Can I lie on the couch?”
The entire conversation vanished because my kid needed me.