Chapter 64: Sixty Four

When Declan’s car turned into our street, I swear my stomach actually flipped. Not in the cute, butterflies kind of way, but in the ‘this is a terrible idea and everything is about to go so wrong’ kind of way.

He parked neatly in front of our gate, got out, and adjusted the cuffs of his shirt like he was preparing for a board meeting. I stood awkwardly on the front step, arms crossed, trying to ignore the sharp stare I could feel radiating from behind me.

“Hi,” he said as he approached, his voice soft and full of that familiar warmth.

“Hey,” I murmured, offering him a quick smile.

Before I could say anything more, my mom stepped forward, her expression as unreadable as ever. She had swapped her usual house clothes for a beige dress.

“Declan,” she said, tone polite but cold. “I’m Sarah Whitefield. Willow’s mother.”

He extended his hand. “It’s really nice to meet you, Mrs. Whitefield. Thank you for - ”

“Do you have time for a cup of coffee before the two of you leave?” she interrupted.

I blinked. “Mom, I told you we’re kind of…”

“I thought it would be nice to talk,” she said, turning already toward the gate. “There’s a place just around the corner.”

Declan didn’t hesitate. “We’d love to.”

And just like that, we were walking the two blocks to the café. I felt like I was in slow motion, every step louder in my head than the last. Declan walked beside me silently. My mother led the way like she was marching to court.

The café was a small, quiet one It had warm wooden interiors, brass lamps, and the soft smell of filter coffee and cinnamon. I hadn’t been here before. I guess it was new. We found a booth in the back. My mom sat opposite us. I took the window seat. Declan sat beside me.

A server came by and Declan turned to me. “Iced latte for you?” he asked me gently.

I nodded.

“And for you, Mrs. Whitefield?”

“I’ll have the same,” she said.

“And I’ll take a black,” Declan added with a small smile. “Thank you.”

Once the server left, the silence returned, dense. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

“So,” my mother said, folding her hands on the table. “How long have you two been... seeing each other?”

I froze.

Declan was calm. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.”

“And when exactly did that start? Before or after Willow began her master’s program?”

I cleared my throat. “Mom.”

Declan cut in smoothly, “We met before her program started, unaware of our positions. We started spending more time together for academic work, and feelings developed. We were both surprised by it. But we’ve tried to be careful.”

My mother’s gaze was sharp and exacting. “Careful. You do realize this is entirely inappropriate.”

“Yes,” Declan replied, tone calm but firm. I knew he did not like this line of questioning but was being nice for my sake. “I understand how this looks. I understand your concerns. But I assure you, I care about your daughter deeply. And I am doing everything I can to protect her; not just emotionally, but professionally as well.”

My mom looked at me for a long second. “And you think this is love, Willow?”

“I know it is,” I said quietly.

She leaned back in her seat, eyes narrowing. “He’s older. Wealthy. Your professor. You don’t think there’s a power imbalance here?”

I felt Declan shift, uncomfortable.

“There might be on paper,” I said carefully. “But that’s not how it feels.”

Declan added, “I’ve never pressured her. Not once. I would step away in a heartbeat if she felt even slightly uncomfortable.”

The coffee arrived, but she didn’t touch it. She looked at Declan and said, “What do you even know about my daughter’s life? What it’s like to build something from scratch?”

Declan’s jaw tightened just slightly. “More than you might think.”

She finally looked away. “And what exactly are your intentions?”

Declan looked at me. Then back at her. “I want a future with her.”

A pause.

“Then you’ll have to earn it,” my mom said softly. “Because right now, I don’t trust you.”

I opened my mouth, but she reached for her purse and stood up.

“I have errands,” she said briskly. “Willow, text me when you reach campus.”

I stood too. “Mom.”

“I’m not saying no,” she said. “I’m just saying... be careful. The heart wants what it wants, but the world isn’t always kind to people like you two.”

With that, she walked out.

Declan and I sat in silence for a moment. He finally let out a breath. “She’s protective.”

“She’s terrifying,” I muttered.

He chuckled and looked at me. “But I get it. She loves you.”

“I’m sorry she was so harsh.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “If I were her, I’d be suspicious too.”

I leaned into him slightly, and he laced our fingers together under the table.

“Well,” he murmured, “we survived. Barely.”

I smiled. “Only a hundred more hurdles to go.”

He kissed my knuckles. “I’ll do anything.”

We didn’t talk much after leaving the café.

The air was thick with everything unsaid, but I wasn’t ready to break the silence. Declan opened the car door for me like always, and I slid into the passenger seat, still feeling the heat of my mother’s words around ust.

He got in the driver’s seat, and turned on the ignition.

After a few minutes, he glanced at me. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just... processing.”

He drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “She’s not wrong to be worried. This isn’t exactly the ideal meet cute.”

I looked at him. “But it’s ours.”

That made him smile. A soft, private smile that he only ever did for me.

“She asked me a lot of questions,” I continued. “Hard ones. But... I don’t regret telling her the truth.”

“I’m glad you did.” He reached over and brushed his fingers along my hand. “Even if she wasn’t easy on me.”

“She was... less brutal than I expected, actually,” I said with a tiny smirk.

He chuckled. “That was less brutal?”

I nodded. “She didn’t bring up your net worth or the age gap. That’s her version of holding back.”

We fell into a quiet rhythm after that. The hum of tires on the road, the sun breaking through the clouds, and Declan humming something low under his breath as the wind swept through the open windows.

For a second, I let myself lean back and imagine something normal. Easy. Not something we had to hide or fight for.

I didn’t say it out loud. But I held the thought close.

Just in case.