While Josh helped his mom begin prepping for tomorrow night, I decided to head back home for a little bit to see how Mom and Aunt Dianne were doing. I felt a little guilty that she was still here, considering I was back home again, but I wasn't exactly eager for her to go. I felt better knowing that someone was there to look after my mom, and after all these years, it's been really nice to finally get a break.

I made my way up the stairs, gently knocking on her door and peeking my head inside. She flashed me an excited smile before quickly placing her finger over her lips, motioning towards Aunt Dianne who had fallen asleep next to her. I quietly slid in, carefully shutting the door behind me, sitting down on the the edge of her bed.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking around for any clues that she was feeling anything less than okay.

"Today is good." She said convincingly. I hoped she wasn't lying to me to make me feel better. I suspected she did that more than I even realized.

"Good."

"How are you? I feel like we haven't really gotten a chance to talk these past few days. How were things on the road? As exciting as you thought they'd be?" I shook my head, giggling to myself.

"Not at all."

I filled her in on as much as a Mother should know, leaving out obvious activities in dressing rooms and hotels, but finally explaining why I was home so much earlier than expected.

"He did that for you?" She said. I nodded, biting down on my lip. She sighed, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"Oh, Jaime. He loves you so much." My heart dropped.

"Well, we're.. we broke up."

"Honey.."

"It's just that.. everything changed. He was.. different, and it just wasn't how it was and he just acted like he didn't care and it just.. it hurt, and well.. with Josh it's like.. I don't have to worry about any of that. Everything is just.. simple."

She held her stare on me, I could tell, choosing her words carefully.

"What is it?" I finally asked, her silence becoming excruciating. She shrugged, gently brushing my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"Like I said, Josh is a lovely boy. He's been nothing but great to you. And that's a beautiful thing. And if that's what make you feel the best, then that's great. But.. is he the right choice or the safe choice?"

My stomach dropped. Why was she so against Josh? It seemed like every time I started leaning towards him again, she pushed me in the other direction. The other direction always being.. Jake.

"Why don't you like Josh?" I asked, feeling my face get hot. In every sense, he just made sense. On paper we were perfect. I didn't worry about him at all. I didn't have to take any chances. It was just easy.

"Oh, no, I love him, Jaime. I have nothing against him. I just.." She stopped.

"You just.. what?"

"I just don't want you getting stuck because you're scared."

"I.. I'm not.. scared. I just-"

"I don't want to steer you in any which way, honey, I just.. life is so short and I just want to make sure you're happy, and you're not just.. settling because you're scared to take the leap on someone you.. feel so much for because you're scared it's going to hurt if it goes wrong. If he did anything that genuinely hurt you, then.. okay. I can understand. But.. if it's little things you can work through, well.. don't you think it's worth it for that one special person? Especially if he's trying to be there and make it up to you. You're just so young, Jaime. And you deserve such an extraordinary life. Everyone does. And if you have the chance to take it, please.. always take it. You have the rest of your life to settle. Take these chances now. And I promise you, you won't regret it. Because the things that scare us the most are typically the things that are most worth doing."

I didn't know what to say. Just when I thought I was finally sure, constantly fighting against these nonstop thoughts I've had of Jake ever since that night. Josh did make me happy, I knew that, but.. was my mom right? Was Josh the safe choice?

"Without thinking, if you could have anyone, who would it be?" She asked. And my mind instantly became a whirlwind. It just wasn't that simple. They both had things that I loved so much about them. It wasn't just a matter of one or the other.

She held her stare on me, waiting for an answer.

"J-.. Josh." I finally said. She nodded, her face dropping.

"Okay." She sighed, forcing a smile for my sake. But I could tell she was disappointed with that answer.

"He asked me out tonight, and.. well, I think.. maybe we might get back together. You know, like.. officially. But.. he said he wanted to take things slow this time so.. maybe not."

"Do you want to be official again?" She asked. I nodded.

"Well, then why don't you ask him?" I shook my head, trying to contain my giddy grin.

"No, I.. I don't want to pressure him into anything."

"Well, I guess I like that." She said softly. "He has always been a gentlemen, so I'm happy that's never something I had to worry about for you." I nodded, my smile growing.

"They also invited us over tomorrow for Thanksgiving." I added. "They asked for you too, and-"

"You go, honey." She said, reaching out, gently touching my cheek. "I don't want to ruin these moments for you. Me and your Aunt will do something here and, if you want.. you can come see me after dinner." I nodded, disappointed she wouldn't even give it a chance. It was only right next door and she seemed like she was getting better.

Why didn't she want to at least try?

"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's nothing crazy, and if you didn't feel good we could just-"

"No, I don't want you worrying about me. I want you enjoying your first Thanksgiving with your boyfriend's family." She said, winking at me. I couldn't help but smile, my cheeks burning.

"I hope.."

"Well, for your sake, then so do I. If anything happens tonight, feel free to come back up and tell me when you get home." I nodded, getting up and leaning in, kissing the top of her head before going into my room to get ready.

I never really knew what to wear on dates. It wasn't really something I did often, and when I did, I was never told where we were going or what we were doing. But I always prayed for something somewhat casual, considering I really only had clothes for "casual."

And then I heard my phone.

Looking over, my heart jumped at Josh's name popping up.

nothing crazy tonight, dress warm and comfortable. I'll be over soon to come and get you :) can't wait to see you

It suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. It was amazing how easy it was for him to make me feel better. And that's how I knew. I wasn't settling. Things were just good. What I needed was comfort.

I changed into a clean pair of jeans, layering one of my oversized sweaters wondering just how warm I should dress. Flipping through my closet, I grabbed my heavier coat from the back, and my usual gray beanie.

It wasn't long before I heard knocking on the front door. I quickly made my way downstairs, taking one last look in the mirror before opening the door to see Josh standing there in his heavy coat, hands shoved into his pockets. I couldn't help but smile as he flashed me an excited grin.

"You look so pretty." He sighed. My body instantly felt hot, making me think that I might not need this coat after all.

"Thank you." I said timidly, making my way out and shutting the door behind me. He didn't hesitate to reach out for my hand, intertwining our fingers and guiding me across the lawn towards his house. He was already so warm.

If only I could just wrap myself within him.

"Where are we going?" I asked, wondering why we weren't going to his car. He smirked over at me, staying quiet as he lead us into his backyard where I saw a small bonfire was already made up, a tray of snacks all prepared with two chairs closely positioned next to each other.

It was perfect.