Chapter Eleven

Aidan P.O.V

As we walk into Caleb's house, I could swear my heart is about to beat out of my chest. My god, what if his mum doesn't support us? He said she's nice, and I know she is too, but I feel like she won't take this too well.

Almost sensing what I'm feeling, Caleb gives my hand a gentle squeeze, as if telling me to relax. I squeeze back, and he smiles at me before getting his mother, who seemed to be in the middle of cooking.

He slipped his hand out of mine and walked over to her, giving her shoulder a light tap. She turned around and, when seeing his face, a big smile broke onto her own as she enveloped him in a tight hug. I felt a sting in my heart; if she doesn't accept him, they'll never be this close again and it'll be my fault.

"Caleb, sweetheart! It's so good to see you! How've you been? Have you been eating alright? You're not overworking yourself either, are you?", she bombarded him with questions, now broken apart from their hug and holding his shoulders.

He let out a light laugh before shaking his head. "No, mom, I swear I haven't been overworking myself. I'm fine, and so is Aidan. He's been taking care of me", he reassured her. Releasing a sigh, she turned to me. I gave an awkward smile and wave but was shocked when she walked over and hugged me. I hugged her back, bending down to place my chin on her shoulder. I could see Caleb smiling at the scene and I couldn't help but smile back.

After breaking the hug, she grabbed my hands and began speaking. "Lovely to finally meet you in person, Aidan! I must say, Caleb was right when he said you looked more handsome in person! Anywho, I've made us some lunch. Are you alright with pasta?", she asked. I nodded and followed her to the dining room.

I sat next to Caleb on one side of the table while she sat alone on the other side. I wondered for a moment where his dad was, but then remembered that he had left them just before Caleb was born. We ate our meal, light conversation filling in the quiet when we found something to talk about.

Caleb seemed carefree, but I couldn't stop thinking about how Mrs Micheals would react. It's getting closer to when we need to leave, so we need to tell her soon. We finished up lunch in around twenty minutes and were now sat in the living room.

Caleb and his mom were catching up about everything that's gone on since he moved into the dorms, and I took this as a moment to excuse myself and go to the bathroom so that I could calm down.

I splashed my face with water and gripped the sink tightly, my hands turning white from the pressure. My nerves had kicked back in now. If I'm feeling this anxious, how is Caleb feeling? It's his mother, after all. Shaking off my thoughts, I took a deep breath and walked into the living room.

We all sat down, a cup of tea in hand, and I had to restrain myself from bouncing my leg up and down. We'd have to tell her soon, and then we'd have to leave to meet the teachers. Crap. Why did this have to be so nerve-racking?

I sat on a couch next to Caleb and intertwined my hand with his. He squeezed it tightly, and only then did I notice that he was trembling slightly. I squeezed his hand back and then placed my own on his knee. He smiled at me, then looked back at his mother.

"Mom, we have something to tell you", he admitted. Mrs Micheals, who was seated on the couch opposite to us, simply gestured for him to carry on. He took a deep breath, and I rubbed his knee in reassurance. "I- uh, how do I put this?"

"Take your time, hon,", she smiled. Caleb being Caleb, gave a grin in return and carried on with his sentence.

"Mom, there's no other way to put it. You're, well, you're gonna have grandchildren,", he sputtered, rushing to finish his sentence. His mother froze in her spot, almost choking on her tea. Shit, if she's panicking this isn't gonna go well.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, awaiting her response. Caleb had resorted to picking at his nails, while I fiddled with a strand of my raven hair. Mrs Micheals, on the other hand, remained still. Hell, even her cup hadn't moved.

After what felt like an eternity, Caleb's mother placed her mug down on the table and looked us both in the eyes. My breath hitched; it was like she was staring into my soul, and it was making both of us uncomfortable.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

My heart was pounding. Beating out of my chest, even. 'Maybe I'm having a heart attack? No, Aidan, you're just being dramatic. Plus, I doubt her reaction could be that bad.', I thought. 'Right?'

"Oh my! How is this even possible, dear?", she mutters. Caleb's face contorts into a look of relief, and he reaches over to grab her hand in his. She gripped it firmly, eyes brimming with what I hoped were tears of joy.

"I... I really don't know, mom. However, it happened, and I'm pregnant. I fully understand if you're upset with me, and I'm sorry if I've disappointed you,", he shyly says, tears of his own threatening to fall. As if on instinct, my hand moves to the small of his back, rubbing it gently to comfort him. His mother turns to face him and I prepare for what she could say.

"Oh, Caleb, baby! Of course I'm not disappointed. You're both adults now, and I'm glad to see you both handling this so responsibly. I respect your decision, and I'll support you all the way, hon,", Mrs Micheals promised. A calmer, more upbeat atmosphere lingers in the room, and I find myself subconsciously smiling at how well she reacted.

"Thank you so much, mom,", Caleb croaked, standing up to hug her. She hugged back and they kept hugging until I brought up the time. "Oh, shoot! We have to get going, mom, but I promise we'll visit soon!"

She laughed, kissing his cheek and rubbing his arm. "No worries, sweetie. Just keep me updated, alright?", he nods and kisses her cheek before running to my side and following me out of the house.

Once we were out of his mother's earshot, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned closer to his ear. "That went better than I thought it would, thank god for that,", I sighed. He laughed and reached up to ruffle my hair.

"I knew it wouldn't be that bad, silly! Now, can we get a drink before we head to the teacher meeting please?", he pleaded, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. I smiled and nodded as we walked to the closest coffee shop.

He bounded over to the counter and ordered a drink before returning to my side, an iced tea in hand and a pleased smirk plastered on his face. I chuckled and grabbed his free hand, dragging him to the school once again.

Halfway there, Caleb's phone buzzed. He passed his drink to me and picked it up to look at the notification. He stared at the screen for a moment, before he burst into light laughter. "What's up?", I asked.

He didn't reply, resorting to shoving his phone in front of my face and letting me see for myself instead. On the screen, a photo of Jordan with his hair braided and makeup on came into view. He looked highly unamused and seemed to be glaring at whoever had taken the photo. I let out a hearty laugh but quickly regained composure.

"Who sent you that, babe?", I question. He tells me it was Roxanne, and it all adds up. "That's... not shocking, actually. And send me that photo please". He nods, and shortly after I get a notification. I smirk but am snapped out of my devious thoughts as the school comes into vision.

We come to a halt, and turn to face each other. We don't exchange any words, but we both understand how the other is feeling. Sucking it up, I grab his hand and approach the tall building.