To Love & To Hold

Chapter 12

Back at the apartment, Maxwell emerged from the bathroom, hair damp and clothes changed. He paused in the doorway, observing his sister and best friend at the kitchen table. The way they sat, Ericka leaning slightly into Dominic's space, his hand resting casually on her knee, spoke of an intimacy that had always been there, just beneath the surface. It was strange to see it so openly displayed after years of watching them dance around each other.

A part of him wanted to be annoyed. This would complicate things, change the dynamic between the three of them. But the larger part, the part that had watched his sister cry over this man, the part that had listened to Dominic's circular reasoning about why he couldn't act on his feelings, felt only relief.

"So," he said, dropping into the chair across from them. "What's the plan for today? Because I drove four hours to make sure my sister wasn't dying, and now I'm stuck here until at least tomorrow."

Ericka rolled her eyes at her brother's dramatics. "No one asked you to come, Max."

"And yet here I am, your knight in shining armour."

“Ah, huh? My knight in shining armour, more like mothers spy your poker face isn’t that good.”

Maxwell clutched his chest in mock offence. "I am wounded. Deeply wounded. I came all this way out of genuine brotherly concern, and you accuse me of being a spy?"

"You texted Mom before you even left, didn't you?" Ericka narrowed her eyes at him.

The slight twitch at the corner of Maxwell's mouth gave him away. "I may have... mentioned I was coming to check on you."

"And?"

"And she may have asked me to report back on 'the Dominic situation.'" He made air quotes with his fingers. "Her words, not mine."

Dominic groaned. "So by tonight, both our mothers will know everything."

"By tonight?" Maxwell snorted. "Dom, my friend, they probably knew before I even got here. Mom has a sixth sense for this stuff. The moment Ericka ended up in the hospital, she would have called your mom to strategise."

Ericka set down her fork, suddenly suspicious. "Max, how did Marcus even know to text you? I didn't tell him to contact anyone."

Maxwell's poker face crumbled entirely. He studied the ceiling with great interest. "That's... a very good question."

"Maxwell James Matthews."

"Okay, fine!" He held up his hands in surrender. "Mom may have set up a... network. Of sorts. People who would let her know if anything significant happened with you two."

Dominic stared at him. "A network? Like a spy ring?"

"More like a concerned mothers' information coalition." Maxwell winced. "Marcus's mom is in their book club. Apparently, there's a group chat called 'Operation Stubborn Hearts.'"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Our mothers," Ericka said slowly, "have a group chat. Dedicated to our love life. With a code name."

"To be fair, I think they started it as a joke. But then it just... escalated." Maxwell shrugged helplessly. "You two were really frustrating to watch, you know. Three years of 'just roommates' while making heart eyes at each other across every family dinner."

Dominic dropped his head to the table with a thunk. "This is mortifying."

"Oh, it gets better." Maxwell was clearly enjoying himself now that the secret was out. "They have a betting pool. Aunt Linda had money on you two getting together at Christmas. She's going to be furious she lost."

“Ok, now I’m really glad I haven’t opened the Christmas present from her last year, now, after the last two from the years before.”

Maxwell grinned as Dominic's eyes widened in horror. "Aunt Linda's presents? The ones with the fancy wrapping paper that Ericka refused to open?"

"What were they?" Dominic asked, his curiosity overcoming his embarrassment.

Ericka's face flushed crimson. "I don't know for sure, but the card on the first one said something about 'for when you finally admit what everyone else already knows.' I was too mortified to open it."

"They're probably lingerie," Maxwell said bluntly, enjoying how both Dominic and Ericka squirmed at the word. "Aunt Linda has no filter. Remember what she got me when I started dating Vanessa?"

"I try not to," Ericka muttered, covering her face with her hands.

Dominic was torn between wanting to change the subject and a surprising curiosity about these mysterious gifts. Three years of presents, all sitting unopened somewhere in Ericka's room. He found himself wondering what they contained and what Ericka might look like in them.

The thought sent heat rushing through his body, and he quickly reached for his water glass, suddenly parched.

"Anyway," Maxwell continued, mercifully changing the subject, "since I'm stuck here until tomorrow, what's the plan? Ericka needs rest, but I'm not spending my entire day watching you two make googly eyes at each other."

Ericka lowered her hands, grateful for the shift in conversation. "I have a Victorian Lit paper due Friday. I should at least outline it."

"Absolutely not," both men said simultaneously.

"Doctor's orders," Dominic reminded her gently. "Rest means rest. I already told you I'd email your professor."

Maxwell nodded in agreement. "For once, I'm with lover boy here. You're not working today."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ericka complained. "Sit on the couch and stare at the wall?"

Dominic thought for a moment. "Movies? We could have a marathon. Nothing that requires too much brain power."

"I vote horror," Maxwell said immediately.

"No way," Ericka shook her head. "I'm not spending my recovery being terrified. How about those cheesy romantic comedies you both pretend to hate but secretly enjoy?"