The Impression That I Get // The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Being nervous around April is now something that I'm used to. But being nervous about her reaction to meeting my mom is new. I couldn't handle waiting for mom to get home inside the house, so I dragged April out to the garage. Mom will know to look for us here when she gets home. Whenever that is.

"We don't have to do this, Nico. Just because you got a glimpse of my mom doesn't mean I have to meet yours." April is sitting on the couch, cool as a cucumber, eyeing me with understanding. I figured she'd be a nervous wreck to meet my mom, but she isn't showing any signs of that at all.

I cross the garage and take a seat on the couch next to her. "You aren't nervous?" I pull her hand into mine.

April shakes her head. "No, should I be? Is your mom a raging bitch that doesn't think any woman is good enough for her precious son? Will she throw insults at me veiled as suggestions?" She leans into me, whispering in my ear. "Will she offer me ten thousand dollars to never see you again?"

I lean back in shock. "Of course not. What the hell, April?"

She laughs. "Then what's the big deal? I'll say hi and answer a couple of questions about my plans for the future and then we'll have the awkward nice to meet you's and be on our way."

Huh. She's got a point. "Then why was me meeting your mom cause for you to freak out?"

"Ah," she glances at me with one finger raised. "That's because with my mom I knew I would have to endure the post-meeting interrogation. Two hours of questioning in a dark room under a spotlight where my story is picked apart and analyzed for accuracy."

"And that will be my fate as soon as you're gone." I nod my head in understanding. "Wow. I'm an idiot."

April leans her head on my shoulder and my arm automatically wraps around her. I could absolutely get used to this.

"Nah, not an idiot, just clueless. But don't worry. The right girl is always worth the hassle." She kisses my cheek. "Someday you won't mind all of it so much."

I turn to her and slam my lips against hers. Twisting our bodies so that April is laying under me, we stretch out on the couch. One arm is trapped under her while my free hand reaches up to brush the hair off of her face, my lips never leaving hers. I angle my head and tease her lips open, then dive in to taste her. My new favorite flavor: April.

I pull away to look down on my girl. "There is no hassle where you are concerned, sweetheart. I can't wait for you to meet my mom so she can see exactly where my future is headed." The look in April's eyes when I tell her what's in my heart is priceless. I lean down to kiss her again, but April only gives me a sample before pressing me back.

"Tell me about you." Her voice is heavy, laced with something I feel deep in my bones.

"What do you want to know?" We shift slightly so that both of us on are our sides, still facing each other. My fingers play with the delicate chain she's wearing around her neck.

"When did you start fixing up old cars?" Her fingers tease the hem of my t-shirt, brushing the skin just above my jeans.

"As soon as I was old enough to hold a wrench. It was my dad's thing and we would come out here and work on the Challenger together. He got it running when I was twelve. Then we'd work on other cars here and there. The first one we sold together was an old '40 Ford truck when I was sixteen." And then he died. I don't say that but by the look on April's face, she understands.

"I never met my dad. He took off the second my mom got pregnant. She decided if the guy didn't want me, she didn't want to deal with him for the rest of my life, so she never went after him and he never came back looking."

I wrap my arms around her and pull her close, saying nothing. What stupid words could I say? Sorry? That sucks? Anything I might say would just be an insult to how that has affected her entire life. Instead, I hold her and try to be a support. She's too damn strong to need me, but I offer it anyway.

"Nico, I'm so sorry that you lost your dad decades before you should have. I'm just happy for you that you have those memories with him."

God, how does she have just the right words when I can't even think of one.

"Baby, I'm starting to feel that way, but it's been hard. I won't lie. I don't even know what to say to you about your dad. I'm sorry I don't have the words."

April raises an eyebrow at me and I look back at her with confusion. "What?"

"You called me baby."

"Oh." I shrug. It was just instinct.

"Now I get to call you bitch for the rest of the day." She smirks. "I bet your mom will love that."

I close my eyes and groan. "Why couldn't I fall for a girl who wants to impress my mom rather than the one who could care less."

I open to find April slack mouthed and wide eyed. "What did you say?"

I rewind what I just said to her and realize that I basically just dropped a feelings bomb on her unknowingly. "Oh, yeah. About that." I lean into her ear and whisper, "I'm falling for you, April. The big L is on its way."

She puts her hands on my chest and pushes me away, just like she did at the Lot when I wanted to beat Matt senseless for putting his hands on her. April meets my gaze with a skeptical look

"Slow your roll, bitch. I'm still seventeen. We're still in high school. There's a lot of life to live before L words and futures need to be thrown around."

What I don't say is that she's end game. We're it, and I think she feels it too. Hell, I think she knows it in her bones, especially with that look she gave me earlier. But I don't want to push her when I've finally got her warmed up to being seen in public with me, meeting my mom. Letting me call her my girlfriend.

Wait...she is letting me call her that, isn't she? Suddenly I'm not sure. That declaration was never clarified.

"Fine, April." I emphasize the fact that I use her name and not sweetheart or baby, which I still don't fully understand her aversion to.

"My roll is on pause. I won't frustrate my girlfriend with all the feels we have for each other." I throw in the GF label to test the waters.

To my complete surprise, April doesn't blink an eye, or roll one, when I refer to her as my girlfriend. Instead, she says thank you in a dreamy, sleepy way and snuggles closer into me on the couch. My arms pull her in as we both lay there together. It's perfect, soothing.

And in about twenty seconds we fall asleep.

***

"Nico."

Someone is calling me but my brain is in a fog and my eyes are closed.

"Nico."

The voice is a little louder now but I still can't open my eyes. I lift my hand to rub the tickle under my nose.

"Five more minutes." I roll over and reach to pull my blanket over my head but can't find it. That's what finally pulls me out of the fog. My eyes open and I see the back of the couch. I twist my neck side to side to work out the kinks and wonder what time it is. How late am I?

And now it hits me.

I sit up in a snap and throw my legs over the side of the couch looking for April. But who do I see standing at the garage entrance looking back at me? April. And my mom.

And.My.Mom.

Oh shit, what's happening?

"Um, hey," I say while running my fingers through my couch hair. "I guess you two have met."

April has the biggest smirk and my mom is glowing or something. How long was I asleep?

"Yes, Nico. I came home about an hour ago and found April sitting on the arm of the couch while you napped away so the two of us went inside for some snacks."

I resist rubbing my face and groaning. "Why'd you let me sleep?" This is not how I pictured the whole meet-the-mom thing going, at all.

"Well, I know you've been staying up late working on April's car, and she said we should let you sleep while we talked." My mom looks over at April, wraps an arm around her shoulder and squeezes. "You've picked a good one, son. Don't mess it up."

"Jeez, mom!" Who's idea was this? Oh right, mine. What was I thinking falling asleep? Apparently I wasn't thinking.

"Don't worry, bitch. Your mom and I get along great."

She went there. She actually went there. And my mom didn't bat an eye, just tried and failed to cover up her laughter.

"Well, I see that you two have some catching up to do so I'll scoot out of your way." Mom turns to give April a hug. "April, doll, you are welcome for dinner any time, and bring your mom and Ko. I'd love to meet them, too."

I don't miss the wide-eyed response on April's face. Ha! Payback is sweet. She is nowhere near ready for our moms to meet.

"Yeah, sure. I'll let her know," April mumbles back.

My mom walks over, ruffles my hair and kisses my cheek then leaves the garage and heads back into the house. April is frozen in place, hands on her hips in defiance. The look on her face is part confusion and part snark.

I'm just purely lost.

"What did I miss?" I ask while standing up and crossing to her.

"You snore." She laughs.

"Okay...what else did I miss between you and my mom?" I point out the obvious knowing that April will avoid as long as possible. She loves to play like that.

"Oh, stop freaking out, bitch. Everything's cool. You sleep like a baby, and I don't. That couch is rank so I have no idea how you were able to sleep on it. I woke up after ten minutes and scrolled through my phone until your mom showed up. She's sweet. We talked about school and my future as a single mom cosmetologist and how college just isn't for everyone. Then I mentioned some stuff about how guys tend to offer me cash for services, but I always turn them down. Right before we figured you should wake up I talked her through an oil change. So it's all good." April shrugs as my stomach flares with acid.

"What the hell, April? Single mom? I mean...what?" I let the shock cover my face. I guess it seems like my mom approves of her, but how after all of that? April made herself sound like a train-wreck and she's anything but.

April pats my cheek. "You are so gullible." Then she laughs and takes a seat on the rank couch.

I bend over, hands on my knees are start deep breathing. "So which part was the joke?" I glance back, take one look at her face and realize I've been hosed. "Right. All of it. Am I ever going to actually know what you and my mom talked about?"

"That would be no. Some things should stay between the girls. Now, what's for dinner? I'm starved. And don't say burgers because we've taken that train too many times already. I'm in the mood for tacos."

I shake my head. "Then why did you ask? Looks like we're picking up some tacos."

"That's what I like to hear. An agreeable man." She grabs my arm and walks me toward the truck. I stop her and pull her the other direction.

When I grab one side of the tarp, April sucks in a breath.

"Nico, are you sure?"

I nod and start rolling it up. "I'll drive this with you by my side. No other way, baby."

"You called me baby again."

I grab her by the waist and haul her close. "I earned it." If I have to remain in the dark about what she said to my mom, and what my mom said to her for that matter, I'm calling her baby all day long.

I kiss her and open the door. Then I take my baby for some tacos.

Say it with me everybody... awwwwwwww! They are in their lovey dovey phase 😍 Well, Nico is. April still struggles with being too cute. Nico could give a rip what everyone else thinks, except for his mom that is. Haha, I wonder what April really told her! *wink* I do actually know and it might come out eventually 😏

I'm having one of my author dilemmas. I've got the next chapter drafted but now I'm wondering if there should be something between that one and this one. I just don't know yet. Send good plotting thoughts my way!!

This song was a college-years staple for me. I was really into ska at the time, a mixture of punk, jazz and reggae (think No Doubt) and this was another group that made my list. I was big into KROQ and Love Lines as well. The drama!! Kinda like this book, lol...

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