Chapter 23 The Mom

Flashback 5 Years Ago…

"Her name is Callie, Mom. She’s my girlfriend."

Axton could feel Callie's nervousness as she clung to his hand that bright morning. His mother had unexpectedly shown up at his apartment and found Callie in his room.

This wasn’t how Axton had planned to introduce Callie to his mother. Over the past month, he had considered several better ways—perhaps inviting Callie to a family dinner seemed like the most sensible option. But before he could put his plan into action, his mother had beaten him to it by showing up unannounced. There was no avoiding it now—he had to introduce Callie.

"Mrs. Scott, it’s nice to meet you." Callie extended her hand, wearing a sweet smile despite her obvious discomfort. Axton knew he'd have to spend the rest of the day making up for the awkward situation he'd put her in.

"Since when do you have a girlfriend, Axton?" His mother raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical.

Axton noticed Callie withdrawing her hand hesitantly.

This wasn’t going well.

Gripping Callie’s hand tighter, Axton held it up for his mother to see. "About six months now," he said with a smile.

Callie glanced up at him, and he gave her a quick kiss on the lips—his way of reassuring her that everything would be okay, even if his mother’s reaction was less than warm.

Well, maybe he was jumping to conclusions, but the look on his mother’s face and her dismissive attitude toward Callie didn’t bode well.

"If you two need to talk privately, I can wait in the bedroom," Callie offered softly.

"No need, Callie. You can stay right here," Axton responded quickly, squeezing her hand firmly to assure her she wasn’t alone.

"Or maybe I should get breakfast. Would you like me to grab something from downstairs?"

Callie never went out for breakfast on her own. She would rather endure hunger than leave the apartment when Axton wasn’t awake to accompany her. Her offer only made him smile, and he tightened his grip on her hand. "No need, Callie. I’m sure Mom already had breakfast at home, didn’t you, Mom?"

"Yes, I did. I only stopped by to make sure you’re still in New York. I’ll be heading home now," his mother replied curtly.

"I’ll walk you out, Mom," Axton said, following her to the door. Turning to Callie, he added, "Stay here. Get some more sleep if you’re tired. I’ll grab breakfast after I see my mom off." He gently patted Callie’s head before stepping out.

"Is this bad?" Callie whispered nervously.

Axton smiled, leaning in for another quick kiss. "Not at all. I’ll make things right for you. Don’t worry."

"I don’t think she likes me," Callie murmured, wincing slightly.

"You’ll understand her feelings one day if we have a son and you find a beautiful girl sleeping in his apartment when you visit."

Callie’s cheeks turned red, and he couldn’t resist stealing another kiss before leaving. "Stay here, Callie," he said, stepping out to catch up with his mother.

His mother had already walked some distance, and Axton had to jog to catch up.

Good grief, the morning was tense, but Axton couldn’t help finding the atmosphere oddly thrilling.

"Could you be a little nicer to Callie, Mom? She tried hard to be polite, but you ignored her completely," Axton said as he escorted his mother to the apartment elevator.

He’d wanted to ask this question since their awkward introduction, but now that Callie wasn’t around, it seemed like the perfect moment.

"This is the first time you’ve introduced a woman as your girlfriend, and it seems you had no intention of doing so if I hadn’t caught you this morning," his mother said, stopping in front of the elevator as they waited for the doors to open.

"Believe me, Mom, I had planned to introduce her to you. But you showed up unannounced and disrupted my plans."

"Oh, really? So it’s okay for strangers to spend the night in your apartment, but I can’t visit without an appointment?"

"You’re making this unnecessarily complicated, Mom," Axton sighed. "All I want is for you to be kind to her. This is hard for her, too. We’re serious about each other, and I want your support. I want you to love her like I do."

"She’s just your girlfriend, not your wife. I’ll only love her if she becomes your wife," his mother replied, pressing the elevator button.

Axton shook his head in frustration, but an idea suddenly struck him just as the elevator doors were closing. "What if I marry her now?"

"Is she pregnant?"

"What? Of course not."

"Then take your time, Son. You don’t need to rush into marriage."

"What if I want you to love her as much as I do, Mom? Doesn’t that mean I should marry her?"

His mother paused, her gaze lingering on him. Then she exhaled softly. "Bring her to the house and introduce her to the entire family. I’m planning a party for my wedding anniversary with your father. I want her to come to the party, and I’ll introduce her as your future wife. Will that be enough?"

Axton smiled, nodding. "More than enough."

***

"Axton, what are you doing?"

Hearing the question, Axton wished it had come from Callie. But his wife wasn’t home yet, and based on her last shared location, she was still quite far from the house.

Of course, Axton knew that wasn’t Callie’s voice.

"Mom?" Axton looked down at Sierra in his arms, then up at his mother’s shocked face.

Damn. He knew he was in trouble.

"Wait a moment, and I'll explain everything," Axton said, striding away with Sierra, leaving his mother still visibly shocked by the situation.

"Oh, God. You should have let me down there and allowed me to explain to your mom. She saw us, and I'm sure she must be very surprised," Sierra said, her voice tinged with panic, as Axton set her down gently on the bed.

Well, who wouldn't panic in a situation like this? Even Axton wasn't sure how to handle it now.

"Relax, I'll explain everything to my mom."

"Are you out of your mind?" Sierra widened her eyes. "You can't just explain everything to her, Axton."

"Of course not. That's not what I meant. I'll come up with something else. Just stay here. If you can, call Callie and ask her to come home immediately," Axton instructed before heading to the door.

He exhaled deeply before returning to the spot where he had left his mother. Sure enough, she was still standing there as if waiting for an explanation.

"Come on, Mom. Let me explain everything so you won't misunderstand."

"Where's Callie?"

Her question remained the same, even though Axton had been married to Callie for two years. Every time his mother visited, the first person she looked for was Callie.

"She's not home," Axton replied, leading his mother to sit in the living room.

She eyed him suspiciously. "And you're with another woman?"

"Mom, she's Callie's friend. Her name is Sierra. They've been best friends for years, and she's also my secretary."

"Is that what you call an explanation?"

Axton sighed. "She's been staying here for the past month because her house is under renovation. Callie and Sierra are inseparable, and since Sierra has been here, Callie has been much happier because they get to chat every day. That's why I had no objection to her staying here to keep Callie company."

"That still doesn't sound like an explanation."

"Oh, God, Mom. Can I finish explaining before you start commenting?"

"Go ahead, son. I'm waiting for your explanation, and you should know that I have excellent emotional control now."

"Sierra is my secretary, and I think you've met her a few times at my office."

"I don't remember every woman I've met."

"Alright," Axton nodded. "This morning, we went on a site visit with one of my business partners. Sierra somehow managed to secure an appointment with Mr. Smith when they met at Damian's niece's party. I know it sounds odd, but that's what happened. Thanks to Sierra, I got to meet Mr. Smith this morning, and we conducted a site inspection. Unfortunately, Sierra tripped and fell. She sprained her ankle and couldn't walk. I offered to take her to the hospital, but she refused and said she just wanted to go home. I already called Callie, and she's on her way here. Sierra needed to use the bathroom, but the one in her room was broken, so I carried her to mine because she couldn't walk. Is that enough explanation, Mom?"

His mother regarded him suspiciously, and Axton knew she wouldn't trust him easily.

"You'll probably believe it more when Callie explains it herself, won't you? So you'll just have to wait for her to come home, Mom," Axton said, throwing his hands up in defeat.

***

Axton watched as Sierra sat with her head bowed next to Callie while his mother sat across from them at the dining table. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward, and Axton knew why.

"How's your treatment going, dear?" his mother asked, slicing an apple and placing it on a plate in front of Callie—her usual gesture when they ate together.

"No changes, Mom. I'll have to live with this illness for the rest of my life," Callie replied with a brief smile. She then turned to Sierra. "Oh, by the way, Mom, Axton mentioned you misunderstood my friend. This is Sierra. She's my best friend, so there's nothing to worry about her."

Axton’s mom glanced at Sierra and nodded. She looked back at her with slight worry.

Of course, this situation wasn't easy for anyone, but Sierra was the one struggling the most.

Axton knew his mother never interfered in his personal life and always gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted. She had never been the type to pry into his romantic relationships or past escapades. She was a modern woman who understood the changing times and the influence it had on her son's life. He was fortunate to have that kind of freedom to explore.

Years ago, when his mother first met Callie at his apartment, she hadn't been particularly friendly. In fact, she could be described as indifferent, ignoring Callie's attempts to be kind. That memory had likely left an impression on Callie.

Even after his mother eventually warmed up to Callie, their relationship remained distant. Callie never felt entirely comfortable around his family, despite Axton's efforts to warn everyone to treat her kindly. He had prohibited them from discussing their marriage situation or asking intrusive questions about children. Nevertheless, Callie still couldn't feel at ease.

And Axton accepted that.

Rather than siding with his family, he chose to protect Callie's comfort—supporting her whenever she expressed her grievances about his family. However, Axton also knew his mother cared deeply for Callie and wanted the best for her.

Fortunately, his mother had honored the promise she made at the apartment years ago. After Axton and Callie got married, she became much more caring and attentive toward her daughter-in-law.

"Axton already explained it to me, but of course, I trust it more when you explain it yourself," his mother said. "I'm sorry for thinking poorly of you, Sierra. I didn't know you had a workplace accident. I hope your leg heals soon."

Sierra looked up and quickly nodded. “Thank you, Ma’am. I’m sorry as well for causing you discomfort.”

“Not at all. This is Axton and Callie’s home—they can do whatever they wish, especially Callie. I hear you two are best friends, correct?”

“Yes, Mom. In fact, Sierra has joined every date Callie and I went on,” Axton chimed in, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Are you still bringing that up even after all these years?” Callie protested, shooting him a look. “You should’ve brought Damian along on our dates, too. Maybe Sierra would’ve ended up with him if you had.”

Sierra choked on her food, and Axton immediately poured a glass of water, handing it to her.

“Oh my, you’re so clumsy!” Callie scolded as she helped Sierra drink. “And Axton loves to speak carelessly.”

Axton offered a brief smile as he realized something significant—Callie was back. She was complaining and smiling again, just like before, a sight that filled him with immense gratitude.

“I’m sorry,” Sierra murmured quietly.

“Don’t apologize, Sierra. You should be mad at Axton instead!” Callie said with mock indignation.

The dining table fell into a more comfortable silence after that. Axton’s mother peeled an apple to give to Callie, while Callie peeled an orange and handed it to Axton.

“Would you like an orange, Mom?” Callie asked, offering some to her mother-in-law.

“It’s all for you, dear. You need to eat more fruit and other nutritious food.”

Callie nodded, then handed the peeled orange to Sierra instead.

For a moment, Axton found himself pausing as he watched Callie’s simple gesture. She always shared everything she had with Sierra—her meals, her belongings, even her favorite makeup and skincare products.

“You know your dad is heading to England for two weeks for business, right?” Axton’s mother’s question broke his train of thought.

He turned his attention back to the conversation, nodding as he chewed on a slice of orange. “Daddy told me last week. Though I thought only his secretary would go, since he mentioned not wanting to leave you, Mom.”

“That was the plan initially. I didn’t want to go to England, but staying home alone makes me feel lonely. If it’s alright, could I stay here for those two weeks? Would you mind?” his mother asked.

The question immediately drew the attention of not only Axton but also Callie and Sierra.

Axton glanced at them from the corner of his eye, and his stomach twisted when he caught Sierra’s wary look in his direction.

Oh, hell. If his mom stayed for two weeks, how on earth was he supposed to handle things with Sierra?