Rough Heart | ethan dolan

[twenty three - mother's know everything & ethan breaking the rules]

My heart swells at the thought of Ethan remembering my conversation with Anne about my favorite flower, and putting this cute little homecoming setup together on my bed. He really doesn't give himself enough credit.

I seem to be thinking a lot lately about how Ethan has seemed to change. It's incredible, really. We have known each other for a month, now, and he is almost a completely different person. When I first met him, he was rude, reckless, and so... insolent.

Not that he is perfect or anything now, but he has definitely come a long way. I admire him so much for it. He has no idea how much it means to not only me, but Anne and Grayson.

I grab the bouquet and smell the large, red roses. They are absolutely beautiful. I also find myself re-reading Ethan's small little note over and over again. His sloppy handwriting is something I have grown to love, but he doesn't know how much of it I have really seen. Now that Grayson has said something about it, I really do wonder if Ethan will ever tell me that he writes. I don't know why he wouldn't; his writing is so elegant and beautiful.

I walk out to the living room, my bouquet still in hand.

My mom looks up from her book with a smirk on her face.

"Looks like somebody got asked to homecoming," her smile widens.

I can't help but be confused as to why my mom is happy about this. She should be screaming at the top of her lungs, grounding me for continuing to see a boy she told me I couldn't behind her back.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I've been lying to you," I begin.

She places a bookmark in her novel and sets it on the side table. She sighs before folding her hands across her lap.

"Oh I know, Jessica. A mother knows everything."

I furrow a brow at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I know where you have been going all those nights... I am no fool. I used to do the same exact thing- tell my parents I was going to a friend's house, when I was actually going to see your delinquent of a father."

I can't help but be surprised. I was almost positive my mom had no idea about me going to Ethan's house.

She laughs lightly before continuing.

"I was already suspicious, but I knew for sure whenever I called Lilly's mother while you were supposedly over there studying for a test, only for her to inform me that you were, in fact, not there."

I can't help but giggle a bit along with my mom. I can't believe she is actually being somewhat nonchalant about this.

"Normally, I would be mad at you. And I actually was, I was furious. But, you're lucky your little boyfriend came over here himself and proved me wrong."

Proved her wrong? What does she mean? My stomach starts to churn at the thought of what Ethan could have said to her...

My mother pushes her reading glasses on top of her head before continuing.

"I will admit, Jessica. I was wrong about him. He gained my complete respect when he came over here a little earlier. I was shocked to see him at the door, but he introduced himself to me and I invited him in and we ended up talking for awhile. He told me how much he cares about you and it changed my perspective of him, Jessica. The things he had to say about you were so, so sweet, and he was beyond polite. And then he asked if he could go set up your little homecoming surprise."

Every word that comes out of my mother's mouth is like music to my ears. How could Ethan pull this off without even telling me?

It's the things like this that remind me how much I like Ethan and how important he has become to me.