Maeve was in the restroom washing her hands and face as she couldn't forget what happened earlier in the day.
She arrived home with her work in toe, but the door to her house was unlocked; her mother was inside. "Huh, I thought she would be here at 5 p.m., but I guess she couldn't wait." Once inside, the kitchen and living room lights were turned on. Laoise was in the living room, setting up the small table in the center. "H-Hey, mom! You came early!"
Laoise smiled as she saw her daughter, "Maeve, mo aingeal milis (my sweet angel). It feels like forever since we have seen one another. How was work?"
Maeve put her stuff on the side of one of the sofas. "Maith agus tuirseach (Good and tiring). I missed you, mom. Sorry for not keeping much in touch; I've been busy." She went to the kitchen to get drinks for herself and her mother.
"So, are you still dating that older man?"
"I am. By the way, his name is Treyton. It's also going well with him; he's everything that Stephen was not." Maeve returned to the living room, where her mother sat on the sofa.
Laoise nodded, "I'm glad everything is going well for you two. I hope that you two are not going too fast. I don't want to sound like a prude, but sometimes older people try to go too fast in a relationship. I just want you to be careful."
Maeve hoped that Treyton's age wouldn't be a part of the conversation, but she couldn't blame her mother. Laoise always worried about her well-being and wanted what was best for her. "I know. I have taken your advice to heart. Treyton considers my feelings and thoughts; he also went through a divorce."
"So he's a divorcee, eh? Did he say why he's divorced?"
"He said that his wife left him for another man but said that he understood her."
The older woman raised an eyebrow. "It would be difficult to move on, especially if one was left for another. I hope he's not dating you to get revenge."
"Mom, please."
"I'm sorry, it's just that many older men tend to care for a woman's youth. There are times when they go after young woman to spite their exes. It was just a thought."
The young woman put the drinks down. "I need to go freshen up before we eat. After I come back, I don't want to have this type of conversation. I just returned from work and wouldn't want my good mood to be dashed." Before her mother could say anything else, Maeve went to the restroom.
Maeve sighed as she prepared herself to return to her mother. She loved her dearly but wished that her mother wasn't always negative. When the sink was turned off, she heard her mother say, "So, you must be the man my daughter is dating. I must admit, you're a handsome one."
The young woman stilled.
"Oh, um, it's nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Oh my god, it's Treyton! He's come here!" Maeve immediately left the restroom and saw Laoise in front of the door as she looked at Treyton from head to toe. "T-Treyton!?" Treyton looked over Laoise and saw Maeve walking toward him; he felt relieved. It felt awkward that he had to meet Maeve's mother too soon. "I'm surprised that you're here."
"Oh, uh, I was driving by, and I couldn't help but stop to see how your first day of work went. I wanted to tell you something. However, I see that your mother is visiting so I can call and-"
"What's the hurry? You can come in and speak if you like."
Sweat trickled down Treyton's neck. He wasn't prepared to meet Laoise and wouldn't know what to say to her. When the Alpha was about to speak, a scent hit him; it came from Laoise. The scent was strong, and it had a hint of a stench. His gaze was interrupted when Maeve intervened. "Mom, Treyton just wanted to tell me something before he went off. I imagine he has to see his son, right Treyton?"
"Yes, I promised my son that we would go out and eat somewhere. I had a meeting here in Long Beach, but I just wanted to make a quick stop. I don't want to ruin your dinner with your daughter."
Laoise raised an eyebrow and said, "So you have a son. Interesting."
The two could tell that Laoise didn't look pleased; Treyton wanted to punch himself. "Aidoneus was right! I should've called instead!"
"Mom, please wait inside. Treyton and I need to talk." Maeve walked out of the house as she closed the door behind her; she looked at and embarrassed Treyton. "So...what's up?"
The Alpha could tell that Maeve was not entirely happy, and he couldn't blame her. He came by unannounced since he thought Maeve would be alone. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that your mother was here. I should have called."
"Maybe, but you said you met in Long Beach. I imagine that your meeting was not too far off. I guess you wanted to surprise me, right?"
Treyton lied since he didn't want to look foolish driving from Palos Verdes to Long Beach. He felt terrible for doing so, but it looked like Maeve had told his mother about him. "Yeah, I didn't want to text you while you were at work since I imagined you had much to do. I-I thought it would be nicer to see how your day was."
A blush came across Treyton's face, and Maeve couldn't help but feel that he looked adorable. "Sorry, we can't talk much since my mother is here. You said that you had something important to tell me."
"Oh, yeah! Since the holidays are approaching, I was hoping we could do something for the weekend. I was thinking we could go to Big Bear and hike!"
"Hiking at Big Bear? I have never been to Big Bear before but I heard that it's far; it would take an hour to get there. Are you sure you want to go there? I mean Long Beach has some nice hiking trails."
"I know, but Big Bear has nice small towns, and they usually have Christmas Markets and villages done for the holidays. I thought it would be nice to have the Christmas vibe. What do you say?"
The thought of going to Big Bear sat well with Maeve, and if they were to have Christmas Markets, she would have more time to shop. "Okay, that sounds nice!"
"Wonderful. We will go on a Saturday, and I will pick you up at 6 a.m. since traffic can be a bit hectic in the area. Would that be good?" Maeve nodded. Great. I will text you when I'm about to pick you up, and when we get to Big Bear, I need to tell you something."
Maeve raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why can't you tell me now?"
Treyton's uneasiness was noticed. "I feel it's not the right place and moment to say. Trust me, it won't be anything terrible. I promise. So Saturday?"
Maeve nodded. "Of course, I'll see you on Saturday."
The two said their goodbyes; Treyton returned to his car as he saw Maeve returning home. Once the Alpha got inside the vehicle, he sighed, frustrated. "I can't believe myself! I should've called! Damn it!" He looked back at the house and couldn't help but feel thoughtful. "Maeve's mother, I couldn't help but smell something off from her." He shook his head, "It's probably nothing. I'm just a nervous wreck." Treyton turned on and drove back home, contemplating his following actions.
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