So Kade walked to his mom in the kitchen...
Mom held her cup close, staring at the kitchen window.
"So," she said without turning, "you're dating Jesse?"
Kade froze halfway into a toast bite. "Dad told you?"
"No," she said, calm. "But I know my son. And I damn well know Jesse. You don't look at someone like that unless something deep is burning."
Kade looked down. "I didn't mean to lie."
She turned. Her face wasn't angry. Just hurt.
"Sweetheart, I'm your mother. I can survive most storms. But silence from you?" She placed a hand on his cheek. "That breaks me."
"I was afraid you'd never see me the same."
"I see you more now," she whispered. "More brave. More vulnerable. More you."
He choked on the lump in his throat.
She smiled faintly. "Do I love that it's Jesse? No. But I know Jesse. He's loyal. He's patient. He's exactly the kind of man I prayed you'd find."
"He'd already fought through storms years back but then"....
"Even if it's weird?"
She shrugged. "Love's weird. So is family. But I'll be damned if I let this house be one more place where you feel unsafe."
She kissed his forehead, took another sip of coffee, and added, "Tell Jesse to stop sneaking out the back door. If he's part of this family, he eats Sunday dinner with us. No exceptions."
Kade smiled,hugged his mom,let a tear drop and he said "thanks mom".
Jesse came in much later "Hey,I'm sorry ok,I wasn't expecting things to go the way it did and I didn't want you guys to find out like this".
"It's fine Jesse,all we want is NOT KEEPING Us IN The dark and I hope you treat him fine else you have your friend to settle scores with" she said with a smile 😊.
And they all went out for whatever it is they wanted to do....