Chapter 157: A Mother’s Approval
Rhys
"You did well, son. I can see why Kayden loves you," Rhoda muttered, placing a hand around my shoulder. "You look a mess," she eyed me up and down, then pointed towards the waiting lobby. "I think you need to calm down, son, and try to regain your strength for Kayden."
I looked towards the ER unit, but all I could see were the blue curtains. I clenched my fists tightly for a moment, then released them and nodded at Rhoda.
She took my hand and pulled me towards one of the chairs. She sat me down and took her seat right beside me. "Son, do you want to drink anything?" she asked warmly.
I stared at her for a moment and couldn’t help but wonder how she was Leo’s mother. Aside from the resemblance they shared, they were completely different in character.
Rhoda was a smooth and friendly talker, compared to Leo, who was pragmatic about everything.
"Rhys? Would you like anything to drink?" she asked yet again, but I shook my head in response. "Oh no, you must at least drink water. I believe you need it after everything that you have gone through today."
I tried to speak, to tell her that it was fine, but she just smiled at me and pointed towards her wife. "Darling, would you mind getting me a bottle of water, please?"
Gabriella nodded and stood up, then pointed towards Miller. "Come along with me, Miller. We should catch up too," she winked at him, and Miller widened his eyes in shock, confusion written clearly on his face.
"Don’t scare the poor boy, Gabby," Rhoda jokingly said and laughed.
I almost rolled my eyes at their actions, and then I realized that I was wrong about something.
Both mother and son had no sense of humor at all.
"So, son," Rhoda started as Gabriella and Miller walked away from the lobby, heading to the vending machine. "What is the thing with you and Kayden?" she asked.
I furrowed my brows, trying to understand what she meant, and when she saw the confusion on my face, she cleared her throat and spoke again.
"I am talking about how far both of you are taking this to."
I blinked, my face turning red in embarrassment as I still didn’t understand what she was trying to say.
"I... you..." I scratched the back of my head and heaved a deep sigh. "I don’t understand what you mean."
Rhoda shifted on the chair and placed a warm hand on my shoulder. "I know you love Kayden. I can see it in your eyes, but I want to know what the future with Kayden looks like."
"Oh," I exclaimed, my eyes widening. "About the future?"
She nodded.
I scratched the back of my head because I had been thinking of the future ever since the night we spent at the yacht, and I had already made up my mind about what Kayden was to me.
"I plan on marrying Kayden."
Rhoda’s soft face changed immediately into a frown. Then she leaned closer towards me and whispered in a low, threatening tone. "Are you sure of what you are saying, son? I don’t want you to say things that you will never do, so tell me right here and now—do you mean what you just said?"
I nodded.
She grabbed my neck and pulled me closer until I could feel her breath on my face. "Kayden is a son I really love, and if you dare break his heart, I will make sure that you regret ever being born, and—" she suddenly smiled and let go of my neck, patting me gently on the shoulders. "I will ruin you," she said so warmly that it didn’t sound like a threat at all.
I should be scared of her words, but I wasn’t, because I saw a mother—a great one at that—something Linda could never be, and I was grateful that Kayden got to spend some of his years with her.
"But if you truly love my son," she took my hand and rubbed it gently, "then we have no issue at all, and I welcome you into the family," she told me, then spread her arms wide.
I gave her a questioning look, wondering what she meant, and before I could say anything, she pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly.
"Thank you for loving my son."
I said nothing at first, just letting the moment flow, and then I began to raise my hand and hugged her back.
It’s been a long time since I felt such motherly warmth.
"Thank you for everything you have done for Kayden," I responded, shutting my eyes for a moment as I imagined her walking Kayden down the aisle towards me.
Suddenly, a loud throat clearing sounded behind us, cutting off the moment, and behind us was Leo, frowning.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.
I pulled back from the hug and waved at Leo, who was still frowning, his arms crossed over his chest.
Rhoda turned to face him with a bright, innocent smile that didn’t match the threat she had whispered in my ear minutes ago.
"Oh, hush, Leo," Rhoda said, waving her hand dismissively as if he were a nagging child. "You know I’m just bonding with my son-in-law. Can’t a mother get to know the man who wants to marry into the family?"
Leo’s eyes widened for a few seconds, then he palmed his forehead.
"Mother," he groaned. "He’s not—don’t start your matchmaking rituals in the middle of a trauma ward."
"I’m not matchmaking, I’m vetting," she corrected him with a wink at me.
Leo just shook his head, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. He turned his attention back to me, and the playful atmosphere vanished instantly.
He adjusted the stethoscope around his neck, and just as he was about to start speaking, Miller and Gabriella returned from the vending machines, with Miller holding a couple of water bottles.
They stopped when they saw Leo.
"Hey, Leo," Miller’s voice sounded excited, as if he was seeing Leo for the first time, and I knew that there was something truly going on between the both of them that I didn’t care about anyway. "What is the update? How is Kayden?"