Chapter 92. Touching words
Jackson Johnson
Johnson Enterprises
"Cancel my appointments for the day," I said immediately to my secretary as I walked into my office. I entered and loosened my tie a bit, feeling a lot of inner frustration about Oliver. Seeing him leave that building made me feel something I didn't try to control. Without a doubt, it was jealousy, but there was something else I couldn't identify. There was a knock on the door, and I announced they could come in, knowing it was my secretary.
"Sir, Mrs. Johnson has arrived." I frowned. What is my mother doing at my company so early? I turned towards her.
"Fine. Make sure no one interrupts us. Can you bring us two coffees? And some skim milk."
"Yes, sir." The door closed, and a moment later, I heard my mother's cheerful voice talking to my secretary. Then she knocked and peeked in.
"Knock, knock. Your mother has arrived unexpectedly..." I smiled, seeing her in good spirits.
"Come in, come in. What brings you here so early?" She approached, and we greeted each other. I guided her to one of the seats in the lounge area. "I've already ordered the coffee. Do you want something to go with it?"
"No, son. I'm fine, thank you." She placed her purse beside her on the couch and then adopted a rather serious posture. "I've received information that..." She cleared her throat, showing discomfort. I guessed what kind of information she had received.
"I already know what it's about." I sat in the individual chair next to her.
"Why didn't you tell us? We could have accompanied you to the funeral." Her face was filled with a kind of compassion that I didn't like seeing in her.
"Mother, the last thing I thought of was telling you all." There was a silence between us.
"Are you okay? Is that why you were like that yesterday? Is that why you didn't come to dinner?" One question after another.
"Yes, I'm fine. Yesterday I wasn't in the mood, and yes, that was a reason for my mood. I preferred to be alone."
"Jackson Johnson, always shutting himself in his own world. Do you remember what I told you on the call yesterday? I knew something was happening for you to cancel."
"I'm sorry, I should have..." I paused briefly. I usually didn't talk about my life with anyone, let alone my family. "...I should have let you know." She softened her expression and reached out to take my hand. I did the same, and she gave me a firm squeeze.
"I'm sincerely glad Lilly was with you last night." I tried not to think about what happened yesterday, about what we did for hours. "Stop thinking about it; your cheeks are turning red." I let go of her hand and touched my face.
"It's nothing, just..."
"Forget it, don't give me explanations, it's your private life." I appreciated her words. There was a knock on the door, and my secretary came in with the tray. She placed it on the glass table and then left. My mother prepared her coffee, and as she brought the cup to her lips, she paused. "Leah is a very strong and beautiful woman." I raised my eyebrows at her words. "If it weren't for her, Lilly wouldn't have gone to that dinner, remember?"
"Yes," I said, preparing my coffee and then looking at her. "If Leah hadn't canceled... Do you think Leah would be by my side instead of Lilly?" She chuckled.
"No, I just know that one way or another, Lilly would have found her way to you. Leah has a similar character to Lilly, but everyone has their own way of being."
"Why do you keep believing in those kinds of things?" I took a sip of my coffee.
"Let me be. I love seeing how destiny, the universe, or someone up high, crosses paths."
"Fine," I sighed, putting my coffee cup on the glass table.
"Can I ask something personal?" my mother asked. I noticed she was holding back.
"I have the right not to answer, you know?" I smiled.
"Oh, Jackson, why are you such a killjoy? Indulge your mother."
"Alright, go ahead. Speak."
"Do you see yourself with Lilly... in the future?" I frowned. That question was a double-edged sword with my mother.
"In the future? In an official relationship?" I could see the sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes..." She took another sip of her coffee without taking her eyes off me.
I cleared my throat, then shifted in my seat, leaning back in the chair, crossing one leg over my knee.
"Honestly, yes." My mother's scream of joy was filled with happiness. She almost spilled her coffee on her lap. She quickly recovered, and I noticed her face changed, her eyes welled up, and she finally placed the cup on the glass table, taking a napkin to wipe the corners of her eyes.
"Just that answer made you react like this?" I was concerned to see her continuously wiping her cheeks while she chuckled.
"I'm fine, it's just that knowing there's a possibility you'll be with Lilly in the future makes me very happy," she said, looking at me. "She's a good woman from what I know, even though I haven't spent much time with her personally. I could see it in her eyes, in how her mother and sister are."
"She's good, she does me good." I looked at her and smiled. "On Saturday, I plan to ask her to be my girlfriend officially." My mother got excited again. "Calm down, your makeup will run with so many tears."
"But these are tears of happiness! So much happiness! You've made my day, son!" She stood up to come closer and hugged me while I was still seated. "I'm so glad you have someone in your life who shows you what it's like to feel loved and cherished. I thank God that I have enough time to see you happy." Her words moved me. I raised my hand to hug her from my seat. "You have so much to give, so much to offer. You have a great heart, Jackson, never forget that."
"Thank you, mother."