WORK IN PROGRESS: Lords of Ma...

Copyright © 2025 by GroveltoHEA

Bring flowers to my MIL's NOW

I read Big's text to me and was wondering if I should have brought them to Samantha sooner after she'd vouched for my character to Glory. I'd still planned on it, but I'd wanted to give her ample time to get Glory settled into their home now that she'd been released from the hospital. Big had agreed I should wait a couple of days before stopping by, so his text was unexpected.

On my way

I'd grabbed a bag I had ready for Glory, and then I stopped by the florist for two bouquets of flowers.

Thirty minutes later, I was pulling up in the Stellan's driveway. Taking off my helmet, I ran a hand through my hair hoping it didn't look too flat, adding to my nerd quotient. My mother hated motorcycles, so she'd made me promise to always wear a helmet, leather pants and a leather jacket when I'd told her I was buying a Harley. Despite some of the brothers giving me grief about my helmet, I always wore it so Mom wouldn't worry as much about me being on my bike.

Giving myself a pep talk in case I saw Glory, I walked to the door, bag and flowers in hand. Big opened the door before I could even knock.

"What are you doing here?" he said loudly. "We were just about to sit down for dinner."

Seconds later, Samantha moved him aside. 

"Hello, Conall," she said. "So nice to see you. Won't you come in and join us for dinner?"

"No, thank you, ma'am. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to drop off some flowers for you and Glory."

I hadn't even thought about it being dinner time when Big sent his text, and I hoped Glory didn't think I was rude for showing up at someone's house around dinner time.

"Nonsense!" Samantha said, smile wide as she tugged me inside. "We'd love to have you join us. Tabitha! Please set another place at the table!"

"On it, Mom!" she called back.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said. "These are for you."

"Ohhh," she said, taking the flowers from me. "How sweet of you!"

While Samantha went to put her flowers in water, Big brought me into the living room to greet everyone. Glory was sitting on the couch, her pretty eyes on me.

"Rick, Glory, you know Conall?" Big asked them.

She nodded, and Rick came over and shook my hand.

"We're having stuffed shells tonight," he said cheerfully. "My wife makes the best ones I've ever had, and Tabitha's garlic bread is incredible. You're in for a treat."

"Looking forward to it, sir."

"Call me Rick."

"Yes, sir," I said automatically. My mother had grown up in the South and had raised me to sir and ma'am everyone who was older than I was. I grinned and corrected myself. "Rick."

Walking slowly over to Glory, I held out the flowers to her as well as the bag.

"Thank you," she said softly. Tabitha came over and cooed about the flowers before she asked Glory if she could put them in a vase. Glory nodded and thanked her.

"Should I look in the bag now?" she asked me.

"If you want, or you can wait until later. It's up to you. These are just some congratulations-on-getting-out-of-the-hospital gifts I hoped you might like."

She was curious as a puppy, so she started reaching into the bag. The first thing she pulled out was a soft blanket I'd bought for her at Noli's store. Noli had chattered away at me, and I'd told her I was looking for a soft blanket for someone who'd just gotten out of the hospital. Noli had run her hands over the pale yellow blanket, her face focused.

"This one is pretty soft, Mother. What do you think?"

I'd run a hand over it and agreed. "I'll take it."

She'd held it on the way to the register and bagged it up for me, waving me off after I paid.

"Oh! I love yellow," Glory said. "And it's so soft. Thank you."

"I bought it at Noli's store," I said. "She's married to one of my brothers. Maybe when you're feeling better, you could stop by. She carries a lot of different stuff at her shop."

She nodded a bit uncertainly, as if going to a store if she wanted was unimaginable. Treacher, you're lucky you're dead.

"There's more," I said, pointing to the bag.

After Butcher had told me to get her a blanket, I'd thought about other things she might like that wouldn't be too over the top. Like an engagement ring.

"Fuzzy socks," she said, pulling out a purple pair with unicorns and a blue pair with smiley faces. "Thank you."

"There's one more thing," I said, and she pulled out a large box of assorted chocolates.

"I love chocolates," she said. "Thank you."

"Dinner's ready," Tabitha called us to the table.

I was seated across from Glory, and I kept sneaking glances at her while she kept her head down and focused on her food. She didn't say much as the conversation bounced around her, and I knew it was because of that fucker she'd been married to. The rest of us talked, not forcing her to take part in the conversation, but it broke my fucking heart. 

Moments later, things changed when Glory reached for her water glass and ended up knocking it over. She flinched and sucked in a scared breath but before anyone could react, I knocked over my glass of water. I was going to owe Samantha flowers for the rest of my life. Glory looked at me with wide eyes, then Tabitha and Big knocked over their water glasses, followed by Pastor Rick and Samantha.

Glory's face went from fear to shock to disbelief, obviously questioning our sanity. Then Samantha and Tabitha started giggling, Big burst into laughter, Pastor Rick started chuckling and I tossed a grin at Glory.

For a minute, it was touch and go with which path Glory would take -- tears or laughter -- but then she started giggling, her fingers covering her mouth. It was the cutest fucking sound, and I wanted more of it. I wanted that hand away from her mouth, too, because it was a way to hide herself. When we eventually stopped laughing, Glory said she'd get some towels to clean up the water, but Samantha waved her back down.

"Don't get up. The boys'll take care of it."

Big, Rick and I took our cue and went to get some hand towels (My wife has at least thirty for each holiday, Rick told us, opening a deep drawer and pulling some out) before returning to the table and mopping up the water. Since we'd finished dinner, we cleared the plates, too.

Tabitha came into the kitchen to get the blueberry-lemon cake that we were having for dessert, and Big carried in the dessert plates and forks. I grabbed some napkins and when we all settled down to enjoy dessert, the atmosphere was much less strained, as if the ice had been broken with the spilling of the water. Glory even spoke two sentences.

We helped Rick clean up while the women went into the living room, and soon after I said good bye to everyone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next afternoon, after sending Samantha a huge floral arrangement, I walked into the office of Autumn Bernardo, a trauma therapist who came highly recommended. She'd had a last-minute cancellation (that I swear I had nothing to do with), and her receptionist had given me the appointment from two to three.

"How can I help you, Conall?" she asked me as we sat in chairs across from each other.

"Not me, exactly, but someone I want to be friends with," I explained. "She just got out of an abusive marriage, and I need to know if there are things I can do to make her feel safe and not afraid. I basically need to know what to do, what not to do, what to say and what not to say so I don't scare her."

"Being her friend is a good way to begin," she said with understanding. 

Then Autumn began talking, and I took copious notes.