The Butler and I (BWWM)✔

48

"Jake, don't run around," I tell Jake when he keeps running around the airport. I sigh tired of telling him what to do. He stands near the baggage claim waiting for the bags to come around. I take out my jacket due to the amount of heat in this state. Our bags finally come around and I smile that I will finally leave this crowded place. I see I am not the only person visiting family and trying to escape the cold up north, but now I can see that I enjoy the cold better than the heat.

"I got it," Luke says grabbing my bag for him. My normal self would tell him I can carry my own bag, but I am way too tired and just want to sleep right now. I smile and we make our way to where I will meet my parents. I had told them that I was coming with Luke and they were cool with it. My mother is always ready to have guests over and my dad likes Luke. "You sure they want me here?" Luke whispers to my side. I nod my head gently just then I spot my mom walking up to me.

She opens her arms wide and smile, I thought she is about to hug me but she curves me instead and gives Jake a hug. I try to pretend like it didn't hurt me her doing that. Luke chuckles beside me. After she gives me a hug also huffing, "hi," she tells Luke touching his cheeks. Luke chuckles again. 

"Where's dad?" I ask my mom looking around. 

"He had to stay behind to help Christopher with something," she says shrugging her shoulders. Christopher had flown here a week earlier since he missed my parents so much. He was gone for five years after all. "Anyways, let's go," she says. She grabs her phone, "getting an uber," she says. I shake my head, I didn't even know she knew how to use the internet, but whatever. 

After the long wait, the uber finally came and after about twenty minutes we arrive where we will be saying. The place is beautiful, I see what my mom is always talking about. It is a house on the beach, it might be winter, but the beach looks really swimmable right now. "Sis, you're here," Christopher exaggerates. I nod my head, I greet my dad and everyone else does the same thing. We don't bother caring about Christopher since he was with us a week ago annoying people as usual. "Anyways," Christopher says to dad continuing the conversation they were having. "The mind would influence someone's psychotic state?" He asks. 

"Oh," my mom says. They are talking about the brain, of course, she's interested. I take a bottle of water and gulp it down. "Maybe Christine can answer that," she says. I can hear the sarcasm in her voice. Everyone turns and look at me, I roll my eyes. "But wait, she decided not to do her neurosurgery fellowship," I sigh. I should have seen that coming. I will never hear the end of passing that big opportunity. 

"We're going to spend all of Christmas talking about this, aren't we?" I ask my mom.

"Probably," my dad replies. "Haven't been able to hear the end of it," my dad lets out a deep breath. "I just wish you would do the fellowship so your mom would stop thinking about it," he frowns. 

"Mhmm," I say with a fake smile. I wanted to say it is none of her business, but I know better. "Who wants to see the beach, I want to see the beach," I say. Everyone looks over at me. "Well, I'll go see the beach," I say pointing out the door.

"Me too," Luke says. We both smile and make our way out of the house. "Don't leave me alone with your mom," Luke tells me when we reach outside. 

I laugh, "she's not going to do anything to you, she likes you which is surprising," I say thinking about it. My mom always sees something wrong with any guy in my life. Often times, she is right, but sometimes she is plain wrong. She'll hate the guy for something simple as them not having at least a bachelor's degree or something. Why does degrees matter to her so much? We walk to the ocean looking at the waves going back and forth. 

It is the late afternoon so everything looks nice. I take a seat on the sand crossing my legs on the floor. Luke does the same, "what is your mom talking about the neurosurgery thing?" Luke asks me.

"Oh, I was supposed to start my neurosurgery fellowship this year; she got me an interview with one of the best neurosurgeons in Illinois and she's mad that I told her I didn't want to start it anymore," I say. 

"Why don't you want to start it?" He asks me. Wasn't it obvious? I am pregnant, I can't possibly start a new program that is going to take all of my time right now. I am about to be a new mother. I point at my stomach, he nods his head. "But," he says. I look up at him, "is there a rule that says pregnant women can't start the program?" He asks. I shake my head, "then start it," he simply says. 

"It's not that, it'll take a lot of hours. Hours at the clinic and hours studying, I can't do that when the baby's born," I tell him. 

"Didn't you go to college and medical school while Jake was young?" He asks me. I nod my head, "exactly," he says repeating the same word I said to him days ago. "Then start it."

"This is different," I tell him. When I was going through college and medical school, my family was there. My mom or my dad didn't mind watching Jake anytime that I wanted. Plus, although Juan's mother hates me, she didn't mind watching Jake. When Juan and I were busy with school, we would just dump Jake at her house and she didn't mind. She was happy even, happy that she could spend time with her grandson. 

"How different?" He asks me, "I'll be right there whenever you want. And according to you, women can do anything with a baby. Motherhood does not limit them, it pushes them."

"You need to stop listening to me," I say laughing.

"And you need to start listening to yourself," he says. "So, you are going to call that doctor and set up the interview and you'll be the best neurosurgeon I now, probably the only one, but the best."

"Both of my parents are neurosurgeons," I say chuckling. 

"Then you'll be the best I know."

"My mom is one of the best in Illinois, can't beat that," I say honestly. 

"Hey," he says grabbing my hand. He intertwined our fingers, I look down at our hands. "You can do it, just have to put your head into it," he rubs his thump gently on my hand. "I'm sorry about before," he tells me. 

"It's fine," I tell him already knowing what he is talking.

He looks me in the eyes, "maybe it's because-"

"Mom," Jake calls me walking up to me ending our conversation. "Come see grandpa," he says excitedly. He grabs my hand making me stand up.

"Okay, okay," I say walking inside the house.