“Daddy loves you,” I heard Mike mumble to the small hamster sitting in his hands as I laid in his bed on my laptop. I was able to work from home today, and I was taking advantage of it. “Daddy loves you very much, MJ. More than that mean lady over there loves you.”

I laughed as I checked my e-mail, “You’re such a fag.” Four unread emails popped up on my screen and I groaned. Working at home sounded great and all, but there were so many other things I wanted to do than sit here and have to respond to e-mails all day. I had just replied to a shit ton of them.

“Do you want to go in your hamster ball?” Mike got up from the bed and put Michael Jackson in his ball, letting him explore around the room. “Please don’t poop in there.”

“You do realize he has no idea what you’re saying, right?” I cackled as Mike wagged his finger at the hamster ball that was running away from him.

“He understands his daddy’s orders,” he grinned and laid back in bed next to me. “You’re still not done working?” I shook my head and he groaned. “See, this is why I’m in a band. I will never have to do some bullshit like this.”

“Yeah well we’re not all blessed,” I shrugged and sent out a few e-mails.

I was laying on my stomach, my laptop at the end of Mike’s bed, and he shifted his position so his head was resting on my shoulder as he stared at the screen. “What’s that mean?” He asked as he pointed to an e-mail with the subject Prospective Employees for Rae Matthews.

I kissed the side of his head, “Well since I’ve been working here long enough, I’m able to get an assistant. Which is what that means... prospective employees means like people that are looking to be employed underneath me. The good thing is that the company will pay them, and I will not have to, and they will be able to take a little bit of the stress load off me.”

“You definitely need an assistant. If you get one you can make more time for me and our child, Michael Jackson.”

“Where did he go?” I asked Mike while looking around for the hamster ball.

“Oh fuck, if he rolled down the stairs again!” Mike darted out of bed and ran out of his room looking for the pink ball.

I shook my head as I finished up sending out a few e-mails, the time was coming to three-thirty and I was ready to close my laptop and hop in the shower.

“You are going back in your cage, young man. I am not dealing with this shit again,” Mike grumbled at the hamster inside the ball while walking into the room. I rolled my eyes and peeled myself of my clothes, grabbing the towel that I had sitting on the floor and wrapping it around myself. “You done for the day?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna shower and get ready now and then we can go whenever,” I said while kissing him on the cheek and exiting the room.

I walked into the pristine clean bathroom, had I ever mentioned that Mike was a neat-freak? Because he was. This entire house had to be in tip-top shape; the only room that could be a mess was Vic’s room. I took my towel off and set it on the toilet seat and turned the water on. I turned the fan on in the bathroom so I wouldn’t steam it up too much, and then hopped into the shower. I smiled as I grabbed my face wash from one of the hanging shelves and began to wash my face. It had been about six weeks since Mike and I had that drunk discussion, and a lot has changed in those six weeks. We’ve gone on about twenty dates, his shower now had all of my belongings in it, a good portion of my wardrobe was in his house, everywhere we went we acted as a couple... The one thing that hadn’t changed was what we were to each other. I was his; he was mine, but there was still no real relationship set into place. Mike didn’t seem to mind though, and he told me to take as long as I wanted before I wanted to really give us a title. A lot of people referred to us as boyfriend and girlfriend, and now when we went places it was always “Rae and Mike”. Hell, even Vivian had asked him last Sunday where I was because I didn’t show up for Sunday dinner. The only step that Mike and I hadn’t taken was him meeting my mother. I didn’t know if I was ready for all that, but it was happening, tonight.

I finished up in the shower, cut the water off, and walked back into Mike’s room to find it empty. I shrugged, closing and locking the door behind me before taking my towel off and hanging it on the back of the door. I walked over to Mike’s dresser and pulled out a pair of underwear and a bra, slipped them onto my body and wrapped my towel around my hair. I spent the next forty-five minutes getting ready then walked downstairs to meet Mike. He was sitting at the island in his kitchen, his leg moving a mile a minute up and down, while he chewed on his nails as Vic made small talk with him about my mother.

“Nervous?” I asked while wrapping an arm around his torso.

“After what Vic told me... absolutely,” Mike leaned back into my embrace.

I kissed his shoulder, “Don’t be, baby. She’s going to love you. She can be a little too much to handle sometimes, and a little judgmental, but you’re a nice guy and you just have to show her that.”

“Yeah, after she throws daggers at him because he’s covered in tattoos and has two piercings in his face,” Vic laughed.

“Victor, you’re not making the situation any better you asshole,” I glared at him. “Stop biting your nails.”

“You have no idea how nervous I am, Rae. If she doesn’t like me what am I supposed to do? I have plans for us and I need your mother to accept me,” He pulled himself from my arms and grabbed and ashtray before lighting up a cigarette. “What do I do?”

“Just be yourself, baby. You may not end up being her cup of tea, but at the end of the day she’s going to want whatever makes me the happiest, and that’s you,” I walked over to him, stood on my tip toes, and pressed a kiss to his lips firmly. “Now can we get going and just get this over with?”

“How the hell did I end up with someone as amazing as you?” Mike smiled and put his cigarette out, “We’re going to take the Caddy.”

The drive to my mom’s house was anything but eventful. I kept glancing at Mike, noticing how nervous he really was. He was chain smoking like a mad man, he kept biting his lip and fidgeting. The music was really low, I could barely hear the sound of Motionless In White coming through the speakers. My mom lived a good fifty minutes from the rest of us, seeing as she moved into the more country side after I moved in with Jaime. We pulled into the driveway and I saw Mike’s eyes widen. My mom’s house was a lot different than his parents. His parents house was smaller, a three-bedroom household that was a little older in a tight neighborhood where your home was right next door to your neighbors’. My mom and step-dad, house was a cottage that sat on about thirty acres. A few barns in the back and a beautiful landscape in the front with an outdoor fire pit and patio on the side house, that you got to from two french doors in the front of the house.

“Wow,” was all that came out of Mike’s mouth as he cut the engine off. “I never expected this.”

“Yeah,” I laughed. “My mom and step-dad moved here when Jaime and I got the apartment after high school. This is what my mom always wanted, and it’s still not too far from the water and everything.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Mike replied as we both got out of the vehicle. He was looking around, taking in all the scenery, but was pulled out of his thoughts when I grabbed his hand, dragging him up the steps with me towards the front door.

“Mamma? Mike e io sono qui,” I called out as we walked into the house.

“Bambino!” My mother exclaimed as she came to the door, engulfing me in a hug and kissing my cheek. “Guardate voi tutti cresciuti. Lo non ti vedo da Natale!”

“So che la mamma mi dispiace molto. Sono stato così occupato con il lavoro.” It felt so weird to be speaking Italian again, “Mamma, ti presento Mike.”

“Ciao. Parli italiano?” She held her hand out to him.

Mike shook her hand firmly, “No ma’am, just English and Spanish.”

“Very well then, Mike,” my mother laughed. “My name is Angela, and you can call me by that.” She turned on her heel, “Come on you two. Rae I have done so many new things to the house that I am going to have to show you later. Anthony is out picking Nicholas up from school... I have no idea where your sister is.”

I shrugged, “Typical Natalie.”

“Mike, which would you prefer, Sangria or a Corona?” My mom called as she was in the refrigerator.

“Corona, please,” Mike replied and she came over handing him a bottle and a glass of Sangria to me. “Thank you.”

“You’ve got more manners than your brother does,” she laughed. “So, Mike. Tell me about yourself.”

I placed my hand on Mike’s thigh and gave it a small squeeze. “Well, I’m twenty-two. I play drums in the same band as Vic and Jaime. I also have small on the side rap project with Jaime as a joke, but it’s actually gotten a lot of notice from labels and such. Um... I don’t really know what else to say,” Mike let out a nervous laugh.

“No school or anything?” My mother asked.

“No, my main focus has been music.”

“What happens if that doesn’t work out?”

Mike bit his lip, “I haven’t really thought about that yet.”

“What’s with all the tattoos? If this music thing doesn’t work out do you really think someone is going to hire you with that all over your body?” My mom asked while raising an eyebrow.

“Mamma!” I exclaimed, “You’re being rude!”

Mike placed his hand on mine and looked at it, “No, Rae. She’s right.” He looked at my mom, “I got my first one at age fifteen. I’ve gotten plenty more after that. I like them. It’s like artwork on my body. Most of them have specific meanings to me. If the music doesn’t work out, I guess I’m going to have to find some place that won’t judge me based on my tattoos but will accept me for my personality and brain.” I smiled at his comment, my Mike was coming out, not nervous Mike.

My mom smiled as well, “What makes you think you’re worthy of dating my daughter?”

“Eccoci cazzo andare,” I mumbled under my breath and she shot me a look.

Mike took in a deep breath, “Honestly, I don’t think I’m worthy of dating Rae, but I’m proud to say that she’s mine. She’s the most perfect, beautiful, smart, nice, you name it, person to walk the planet and I’m lucky she ever gave me a chance in the first place. I may not be the best looking guy, and I may not deserve her, but a day doesn’t go by where I don’t treat her like the queen she is. I adore your daughter.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek, smiling at me.

My mom smiled, “Looks like we’re going to have to teach this boy some Italian, Rae.” Mike looked at her with hopeful eyes, “I like you. Don’t break my daughter’s heart.”

If it was possible for Mike’s smile to get any bigger, it happened, and his eyes lit up. “Thank you,” he said to my mom and laced his fingers in mine.

My mom looked at me, “So how are my boys?”

“They’re fine. Tony is well... estremamente bisbetico about everything lately. Steph and him have been fighting non stop. Jaime is crazy and fine, as always.”

“The past two years of their relationship has been nothing but fights. I don’t understand why either one of them put up with it,” she said. “Jaime called me last week and was on the phone with me for an hour.”

“He didn’t tell me that.”

She laughed, “You weren’t home. How’s my favorite person?”

“In desperate need of a hair cut,” I said with a laugh and I saw Mike smile, knowing who I was talking about. “He’s been going on dates with Alex here and there.”

“My little bambino finally dumped that piece of shit!” My mom cheered, “Finally, Vic’s been drooling over her for the longest time.” My mom looked at Mike, “You and Vic don’t look much alike.”

“Yeah,” Mike laughed. “I know. He and Jesse look alike... I’m like the ugly duckling of the family.”

“I think you’re cute,” I grinned.

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell him I’m not going to but he doesn’t fucking get it I’m so fucking tired of his bullshit,” my sister’s voice sounded from the stairs. “Like big fucking whoop I haven’t been in the mood to have sex like what’s the deal?” She walked into the kitchen with the phone pressed to her ear talking. She grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and walked over to the refrigerator, getting ice water. “He’s not even big. I’ve had better.”

“I’m going to vomit,” I mumbled as my sister continued to talk about her sex life on the phone in front of everyone. “Natalie,” I said loudly and she turned and waved before walking out of the room still on the phone.

“She’s out of control,” my mother spoke. “She has no boundaries.”

“How old is she?” Mike asked.

“Fifteen,” my mother and I said at the same time and Mike’s eyes widened and he replied by just saying oh.

The rest of the time at my mom’s house went by smoothly. Mike met my step dad, Anthony, and my half brother, Nicholas. Nicholas really took to Mike because he was six and had been begging my mom to let him learn an instrument. He also liked Mike because of all of his tattoos, he thought they were cool. We ate dinner, my sister doing nothing but texting under the table, and just talked. I was really happy my family liked Mike. He got a lot more comfortable once he could tell everyone liked him. We were now sitting outside on the patio by the fire pit. My mom, Anthony and I were in a discussion about work while Nicholas was sitting on Mike’s lap talking to him about god knows what.

“He’s a great guy, Rae,” my mom smiled at me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “I think Nick likes him a lot.”

I looked over to see Nick practically falling asleep on Mike’s shoulder. “I didn’t know he would be so good with kids.”

Mike heard me talking and looked up at me, a small smile on his face, “Someone’s sleepy.”

“We should probably head out,” I said to my mom as I stood from my chair. “We’ll go put Nick in bed.” We said our goodbyes to my mom and step-dad before Mike picked Nick up and carried him inside. We walked into his room and laid him down in bed, his eyes fluttered open. “Bye Nick, we’re leaving.”

“No! I don’t want Mike to leave!” He screamed, grabbing onto Mike’s arm.

Mike smiled at him, “Maybe I can talk to your mom and see if you can come stay with us before tour. I’ll teach you some stuff on the drums.”

“YAY!” Nick yelled while hugging Mike. He yawned big, “I am sleepy.” I kissed his forehead and started off towards the car.

The drive back home was nice. Mike’s hand stayed in mine as he drove with a smile on his face. Tonight went a lot better than expected, for Mike and I. This was one small step in what was going to be one mess of a world together.

Notes

Notes:
Translations:
"Mamma? Mike e io sono qui": Mom? Mike and I are here.
"Bambino": Baby
"Guardate voi tutti cresciuti. Lo non ti vedo da Natale": Look at you all grown up! I haven't seen you since Christmas!
"So che la mamma mi dispiace molto. Sono stato così occupato con il lavoro.": I know mom I am very sorry. I have been so busy with work.
"Mamma, ti presento Mike.": Mom, meet Mike.
"Eccoci cazzo andare": Here we fucking go.
"estremamente bisbetico" extremely bitchy

Thank you for the feedback, guys!
Another nice chapter before things start to get crazy again!
xoxoxoxo