Not So Bad - A.M.

32. Meet My Mom

"Can you please tell me where we're going?" I asked Austin.

"No." He said again. All he'd told me was to get dressed because he was taking me somewhere and we'd be home later tonight.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"Austin."

"Ava, if you ask me one more time, i'm literally going to stop the car and leave you here on the side of the road." He said, visibly irritated.

"Aw, you're so sweet." I joked and poked his cheek and he responded with a groan. He turned the radio up, and I took that as my hint to be quiet. I stayed quiet until we got to wherever it was we were going.

"Who's house are we at?" I asked as he parked into a driveway and turned the car off.

"My mom's." He smiled.

"What?! Your mom? Austin, why didn't you tell me sooner, i'm not even prepared."

"Calm down, Ava." He laughed.

"What if she doesn't like me?" I asked nervously.

"What's not to like? She'll love you, I know it." He comforted.

"You better be right." We finally got out of the car, and walked up to his mom's front door. He rang the doorbell and I couldn't stop myself from getting even more nervous. He grabbed my hand and gave it a slight squeeze. Seconds later, a woman appeared in the doorway.

"Austin." She smiled, then pulled him into a hug. "This must be Ava." She said, turning to me.

"Yes. It's so nice to meet you Ms. Mahone." I smiled, sticking my hand out for her to shake but instead she pulled me into a hug.

"Please, you can call me Michele. Now come inside, you two." We walked inside and I stayed close to Austin, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I wish he'd told me so I could've been prepared. I'm so nervous that i'll say or do something that will make her not like me or make her think i'm not good enough for her son.

"Relax." Austin whispered to me. I took a deep breath and tried to do what he suggested.

"I hope you kids are hungry. Dinner's cooking." She said to us.

"Sounds great, thank you." I replied, and she nodded kindly in response. I took a look around the room and noticed some framed pictures on the walls. "Oh my gosh." I gushed. I walked up to the wall and looked over the many pictures of Austin as a little boy.

"I see you've spotted his baby pictures." She laughed.

"Great." Austin said.

"These are adorable, Austin. You were so cute."

"There's even better ones. Let me go get them." Michele grinned.

"Mom. No. Please no baby pictures." Austin begged.

"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't show your baby pictures to your girlfriend?" She joked, then walked off.

"A good one." He muttered under his breath.

She returned a moment later with a picture book and sat down on the couch. "Come sit, Ava." She patted the spot next to her and I did as she said. We looked over the pictures together and smiled and laughed at certain ones.

"I'm going to get something to drink." He said, rolling his eyes at us then walking away.

Michele flipped through a few more and then stopped on one. "I miss this." She said, smiling down at a picture of her, Austin, and a man.