18 - mother knows best

CALLUM'S MOTHER'S HOME
london, england
march 29, 2024
friday
10am

callum and i stood infront of his mother's house. he was smoking a cigarette as he stared ahead.

i stood next to him, watching as the smoke curled from the cigarette hanging between his lips. his eyes were fixated on his mom's house, and i could sense the mixture of emotions he was feeling.

"you alright?" i questioned.

he took another drag, the smoke billowing around his face. "yeah, i'm fine." he said quietly, his tone betraying his nerves. "just need a minute to gather myself, i guess."

i raised my eyebrows, "what's wrong? you said you and your mom have a great relationship."

he nodded, his eyes still fixed on the house. "we do. in fact we have a wonderful relationship. it's just that...i'm bringing home a girl." he said before taking another drag. "and i haven't brought a girl home to meet my mom since high school." he added, his tone a mix of nervousness and excitement. i could sense the importance of this moment for him.

i placed a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "hey, it's going to be fine." i reassured him. "your mom and i have already met."

he looked at me then, his eyes locking with mine. a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "i know. but now she'll be seeing us together. as a couple." he said, his tone a mixture of hope and anxiety.

i smiled softly, understanding his concern. "i'm sure she's already seen it in the tabloids." i said lightly, trying to diffuse his worry.

he chuckled softly, the hint of a smile finally appearing on his lips. "yeah, that's true." he said as he took one final drag from the cigarette before extinguishing it on the step. "okay, let's do this." he said, looking back at me.

i nodded, feeling my own butterflies building in my stomach. i gave his hand a light squeeze before following him up to the front door.

he took a deep breath before knocking on the door. a moment later, it swung open, revealing his mom, julie, on the other side. a warm smile spread across her face as she laid eyes on her son.

"callum," she said, her voice filled with love, as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "i've missed you."

he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. "i've missed you too, mom." he said against her shoulder.

she leaned back from the hug and looked at him fondly. "you look tired, darling. you're not overworking yourself, are you?"

he chuckled softly, his expression sheepish. "just a little." he admitted. "we've been filming long hours."

"how come you're not filming today?" she asked curiously.

"we've got the day off." he explained, his hand finding mine as i stood beside him. "figured it was the perfect time to come visit you."

his mom's eyes shifted towards me then, and a warm smile spread across her face. "kacey! it's great to see you again." she said, her tone filled with delight.

i smiled back at her, feeling a wave of relief and ease wash over me. "it's great to see you too, ms. turner." i said warmly.

she scoffed playfully, waving off the formality. "please, call me julie." she said before gesturing for us to come inside.

we followed her into the house, the warm and inviting atmosphere immediately putting us at ease. the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air, and i had to resist the urge to steal one from the cooling rack on the counter.

julie ushered us into the living room and we took a seat on the plush sofa. she joined us, settling into a chair across from us. i looked behind her and noticed the many books of photo albums.

she must've followed my gaze because she chuckled softly. "i can't resist pulling out the embarrassing childhood pictures whenever callum comes over." she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

callum groaned beside me, his cheeks turning pink. "mom, please don't." he pleaded, giving her a playful glare.

she laughed heartily, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "oh, come on. i'm just teasing you." she said before glancing at me. "plus, kacey probably would love to see your baby photos."

"he tells me he was a football player growing up." i said as i crossed my legs.

julie's eyes lit up at my words. "oh, yes. he was a star player." she said, her pride evident in her tone. "always so athletic and competitive."

i smiled and rubbed his hand before clearing my throat. "can i see those photos?" i said looking at callum for the okay.

he rolled his eyes but i could tell he was secretly pleased. "go ahead." he said, feigning annoyance but unable to hide his amusement.

julie smiled victoriously before getting up and walking over to the shelf of photo albums. i looked at callum, noticing the slight blush creeping up his neck. he seemed embarrassed but also fondly nostalgic.

julie returned with a stack of photo albums and set them on the coffee table in front of us. she flipped through the pages, reminiscing as she did, and finally stopped on pictures of callum during his football days.

"oh my gosh!" i pointed at one of the photos and smiled. "you were adorable."

callum let out an embarrassed scoff, his cheeks turning pink. "adorable? i was a badass." he said, his competitive nature seeping through.

julie chuckled and rolled her eyes. "yes, you were definitely a badass. but let's not forget this one." she said, pointing to a picture of a scrawny teenage callum with braces and a bowl haircut.

callum's face turned from pink to full-on red. he buried his head in his hands, groaning. "why do you always show people that picture?! that hairstyle was in, i swear."

i couldn't help but burst into laughter. it was too cute seeing callum all flustered and embarrassed. "please, i need this framed." i said, wiping away tears of laughter.

callum shot me a playful glare before shaking his head in mock annoyance. "i regret bringing you here already." he teased.

julie chuckled and patted his shoulder, amused by our banter. "don't listen to him. he secretly loves the attention."

callum grumbled playfully but didn't deny it. "yeah, yeah, whatever." he said, trying to act nonchalant.

julie continued flipping through the album, pointing out more hilarious pictures of callum's awkward teen years. callum's embarrassment was evident, but he also looked amused, unable to hide his own amusement at his past antics.

every now and then, callum would add his own commentary or story about the photo, and julie would chime in, telling her perspective of his youth. it was heartwarming to see the bond between them and the love they shared for each other.

after going through the stack of photo albums, we were both in a state of laughter and reminiscing. julie set the last album back on the shelf before looking between us. "so...kacey." she said, her tone shifting slightly.

i raised my eyebrows, sensing that the conversation was taking a more serious turn. "yes?" i asked curiously.

julie sat down in her chair again, her eyes studying me. "i have to ask, how did you two meet?"

i glanced over at callum, unsure of how much he had told his mother. he gave me a small nod, silently encouraging me to share our story. i smiled and nodded, "let's see...we first met at barry keoghan's party but we genuinely met when i was on my uk and europe tour and he was at the london show. so yeah."

callum jumped in, continuing the story. "yeah, i went to one of her concerts and after, my friend introduced me to her backstage." he paused, a soft smile playing on his lips. "when we first interacted, i knew there was something...special about her."

julie smiled, her eyes darting between callum and me. i could tell she was taking in our chemistry, trying to understand the depth of our connection. "so it was immediate, this connection?"

callum nodded, his eyes locking with mine. "yeah, for me it was immediate. our chemistry was undeniable." he said, his tone sincere.

i smiled at his words, feeling my heart flutter at his honesty. julie seemed to sense the genuine affection between us. she leaned back in her chair and observed us closely.

"and what about you, kacey? what was your first impression of callum?" she asked, her voice soft.

i thought for a moment before responding. "my first impression of him was...he was charming, and incredibly handsome. but there was something more to him, something genuine." i said, smiling at callum.

he smiled back, a hint of blush creeping up his neck. julie nodded, her eyes fixated on us like a hawk. "and how did your relationship progress from there?"

i chuckled and glanced at callum, signalling for him to continue. he cleared his throat and took over. "we started spending more time together, talking more...and eventually things just fell into place." he said with a soft smile.

julie hummed thoughtfully, still observing us intently. "and how serious are you two?" she asked, her tone careful.

my stomach clenched slightly at her question. i looked at callum and he seemed to be thinking the same thing. we hadn't talked about ever and this was the moment of truth. "we're...pretty serious," callum said quietly, his hand finding mine on my lap.

julie nodded, her expression unreadable. i swallowed thickly, feeling a wave of nerves wash over me. this was it, the moment where she either accepted our relationship or voiced her concerns.

julie took a deep breath before continuing, her voice gentle yet firm. "you both know that callum's career is at a crucial point. i just have to ask, does your relationship affect that in any way?"

callum let out a sigh before answering. "i know my career is a priority, but my relationship is important to me as well. and kacey understands that. we make it work." he said, his tone confident yet sincere.

julie was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering between us. i could practically feel her evaluating our relationship and its potential influence on callum's career.

finally, she spoke again, her tone slightly softer. "i just want what's best for him, kacey. as his mother, i worry about anything that might affect his career."

i nodded empathetically, understanding her concern. "i completely understand that. callum's career is something i respect and value just as much as he does." i assured her, my tone sincere.

julie's eyes softened further, a small smile playing on her lips. "you seem sincere, kacey. and from what i've seen, callum cares deeply about you."

callum's hand squeezed mine gently, a silent sign of agreement. i smiled at julie, feeling a wave of relief. it seemed like we had passed the first test.

julie looked back and forth between us for a moment before her smile widened. "well, i have to say, you both look happy together. and that's what matters most."

callum's shoulders visibly relaxed, a visible sigh of relief escaping him. julie seemed to have come to a decision, and it was a positive one.

°˖✧✿✧˖°

CALUM'S PENTHOUSE
london, england
12pm

"i think that went really well." i said speaking about the previous encounter with his mom for the first time.

he chuckled, tossing his keys on the counter as he entered the penthouse. "yeah, she seemed to like you." he said, his tone genuine. "i was half-expecting some sort of lecture."

i chuckled, following him into the living room. "she does seem like a fiercely protective mom." i commented as i sank into the plush sofa.

he nodded, taking a seat beside me. "that she is. she's always had my best interest at heart, even if it sometimes felt overbearing." he said, his tone full of affection.

i smiled, appreciating the love he had for his mother. "i can tell she loves you a lot. and she's just looking out for your best." i said, my hand finding his on the cushion.

he interlaced his fingers with mine and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "yeah, i know. and i'm grateful for that. but sometimes i wish she'd trust my decisions a little more." he admitted, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.

i shifted closer to him, offering comfort. "it's tough when the people closest to us question our choices." i said empathetic tone. "it's natural for her to worry."

he sighed, his grip slightly tightening on my hand. "yeah, i know. doesn't make it any easier though." he said, a hint of defensiveness seeping into his voice.

i could sense his need for understanding and i scooted even closer to him, our thighs pressed against eachother's. "i get it. it's frustrating when you're sure about something and others doubt you." i sympathized, my free hand cupping his cheek.

he leaned into my touch, the tension in his body slightly melting away. "yeah, it's like they're waiting for me to screw up." he muttered, his gaze meeting mine.

i stroked his cheek with my thumb, my touch gentle yet reassuring. "it seems like your mom is just trying to protect you. she doesn't want to see you get hurt." i said, my voice soft.

~~

a/n

small chapter bc i wanted them to have a formal greeting w/ his mom