Matt & Doe | Complete

Chapter 22

Matt's POV

A week later, Doe and I finally got around to our plans to see my mother. I didn't know who had stalled more... Me, or her.

"Are you ready to leave?"

I leaned against the room door, waiting for Doe to stop fidgeting around.

When I had first told my mother I would be visiting with someone, she promised to fix up her place, and plan a good lunch. That had taken all week. My mom and Doe had never met before... well at least I didn't think so. My mom had insisted otherwise.

"Okay," Doe sighed, passing her hands nervously on her jeans.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no..." she smiled, but it quickly faded.

She brushed past me and went into the lobby area, before I could have said anything else.

I didn't dwell on it... at first.

I secured our room, then met Doe in the parking lot. She stood waiting beside the car, keeping her focus on the ground.

"Ready?" I asked again, since I was yet to believe her answer from earlier.

"Okay," she nodded, and was about to walk off when I grabbed her hand.

"You're acting really weird," I squinted, and she pulled out of my grasp, "Tell me what's up."

"I just... don't know if I want to go."

I did a double take. We had been planning this for a while, on her request. My mother was at home waiting for us to arrive and now Doe...? Doe was telling me she wanted to turn back around and go inside. I let out a small chuckle, despite my racing thoughts.

"You... don't have to feel nervous, or anything, you know?"

"Ha," she flashed her teeth, then closed the space between us, hiding her face in the crease of my neck.

I held Doe closely, eventually letting go.

"We'll just go for lunch. It won't be long."

"Alright, fine. Just lunch."

The journey to my mom's place was a good twenty minutes by clock, but felt half as long with Doe in the car. She tampered with the radio multiple times, complaining as each new song came on. I tried to get her mind off whatever had been bothering her, but it didn't help when we pulled up to our destination and her face dropped.
I heard her mumble an 'oh my God'.

"Sorry," Doe faced the window, "I...um, this is really weird."

She turned back to me and I gave her a confused look.

"What is?"

"... Just... don't think this changes anything."

I was utterly confused. I had no idea what she was talking about. Still, I smiled and tried to comfort her. I took her hand in my mine and kissed it.

"Of course not."

I made it to the front step before Doe, who was lost observing the random flower pots scattered across the lawn.

I knocked firmly once, then twice, and peered into the small hole at the top of the door. I caught a glance of my mother throwing on a blouse at the last minute.

"Doe...come here, please?" I called over, as my mother made her way to the door.

"Knock again," Doe shrugged, and with her fist mid-air, the door swung open, "...Oh."