Fail to Love by Maci Dillon

 

Bad Timing Mama

 

“Sometimes you just have to ride the wave you’re given.” ~ Unknown

 

 

SEAN

 

Stranded on the balcony in last night’s pants and no shirt, I hoped it was a drop-and-go delivery, or things were about to get awkward.

“Mama?” Raven’s shock floated through the apartment to where I remained seated outside.

Yeah. Awkward was an understatement.

I don’t do meet the family moments—at least I hadn’t yet. There’s been no woman in my life I’d been interested in seeing again, so it’s not been a blip on my radar.

“Umm, Mama, you should’ve called, but it’s great to see you, of course. Come in.” At least I wasn’t the only one rattled by her unexpected visitor. I chuckled to myself as Raven’s composure waivered.

“I had some errands to run and wanted to stop by on my way through. You’ve been so busy lately, and we’ve barely seen you in weeks.”

I stood, unable to hide in the small outdoor space, and caught a glimpse of Raven and her mom as they approached the kitchen. “Mmm, fresh coffee. Care to make your mother a…” her voice trailed off, and surprise lit up her face when she noticed me.

Channeling Dr. Sean, I approached mother-dearest with my award-winning bedside-manner smile. I kid you not. It’s a thing, and patients rave about it. Right now, I wasn’t the man her daughter spent the night with, but I had to be a doctor, and she was my patient.

I offered my hand to the woman who looked young enough to be Raven’s sister, not mother. “Hello, Mrs. Gataki, how lovely to meet you.”

Hesitantly, she took my hand and smiled.

“Mama, this is um, Sean. A friend of mine.”

I didn’t know why I frowned, but the word friend was undesirable, at best, coming from her mouth.

“Nice to meet you, Sean. Please, call me Demetria or Deme for short.” Her eyes darted left and right, up and down over my naked chest.

Raven stood frozen, her beautiful dark eyes pleading with me to do what?

“Seems I’ve interrupted something. I had no idea Raven was dating anybody.” Hurt mixed with a hint of curiosity seeped through her voice.

“No, we’re not—”

I jumped in, unable to hear her say the words I imagined would be next out of her mouth. “I was just leaving, but it was lovely to meet you.” I gave a polite nod and avoided Raven’s displeased expression.

“No need to leave on my account. I just came by to fill Raven in on the family barbecue this weekend. I assume you’ll be joining us?”

“Sean has patients to see, Mama.”

Oh no. Doe-eyed mama Deme transitioned to a deer-in-the-headlights mama with the mention of patients. “So handsome and a doctor? Well, Raven, why haven’t we met this mysterious man of yours before?”

Raven cupped her reddened face in her dainty hands but failed to hide her embarrassment.

I chuckled. “Please, give me a minute while I put a shirt on.” Hating I had to disappear to Raven’s room to find my shirt in the presence of her mother was one problem. Worse was when Raven barged in behind me wearing the said shirt.

What a clusterfuck.

“I’m so sorry, Sean. I had no idea—”

Immediately, I shushed her words with a finger against her lips. “Stop. Don’t apologize for your family. I shouldn’t have stayed.”

Raven beamed at me incredulously. “Staying is the least of your problems, Dr. Judgy.”

“Okay, so we’ve reverted to nicknames now?” Frustration wept from my pores for a reason I’d never be able to explain.

“My mother, and once she leaves here, my entire family, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and their families will all be expecting you at the family dinner this Saturday.”

I stifled a laugh. Her horror amused me much more than my unease about the situation.

“Kitten, don’t stress. I’ll politely decline… as you’ve already explained I have patients to care for.” Raven’s expression grew from wild to full-blown crazy.

“Oh no, you will not.” She poked at my bare chest with a sharp fingernail painted as black as her hair and as dark as the fury in her eyes.

“I won’t?” I shuffled a few paces back, not game to ask for my shirt. It wasn’t like I was actually scared of her, I was enjoying the show immensely. If she bothered to look below the waistband of my pants, she would be able to see exactly how affected I was by her.

She scoffed, unbuttoned my shirt, and threw it at me before combing through a pile of clothing on the floor for something to replace it with.

“Let me jog your memory. We’re here this morning, in this untimely embarrassing predicament because I accompanied you on a fake date to impress your work colleagues. The very least of which you can do for me in return.”

Shit.

I didn’t like where this was going, but I also couldn’t stop playing with her a little longer. “You want me to impress your work colleagues? Yeah, I can do that… shouldn’t be too hard.” I shrugged carelessly, biting the inside of my lip to avoid the smirk from spreading over my face.

When she threw her arms in the air and stormed out, a chuckle escaped me.

“Of course, Mama, we’ll be there,” I heard her say.

What the fuck?

“Oh, honey, that’s fantastic news. It saddens me to find out you’ve been hiding such a good man from us…” I walked out as she finished the sentence, “… but I’m sure the family will love him just as much as you do.”

I immediately wished I’d not overheard any of their conversation. In fact, I was left wishing I’d taken the time to drive home last night. Only I wouldn’t have had the chance to wake up to Raven this morning and cook breakfast for a woman for the first time in my life.

No.

I was glad I stayed.

And frustrated that I wanted more of Raven already.

Upset at myself for wanting something I couldn’t have, I grabbed my phone and shoes from the door. My career allowed no room for a relationship at this time in my life, and I doubted it ever would.

Once my surgical days were over, I’d be stuck behind a desk until my meticulous mind wore thin, and my greatest achievement would be remembering to put underwear on in the mornings, at which point I’d retire a lonely yet accomplished man.

Now I’d been roped into attending a family event?

I have zilch experience with family gatherings. I wasn’t afforded such a privilege and never had a family interested enough in my life to want to meet others. Raven had an extended family excited for her every step forward in her life, and she wanted to lie to them?

We’d be having a conversation about this, but right now, I needed to get the fuck out of there before I suffocated.

I appeased her mother with a kiss and a thank you for extending the invitation and awkwardly waved goodbye to Raven and promised to call.

Once the door closed behind me, I let out a long-overdue breath and hightailed it to my car.