Title: All That Matters

Author: SneetchesToo

Pairing: Owen/Michelle

Rating: General

Summary: Day 2: Family First – Michelle and Iris/Theresa

Author's Note: #MichelleBlakeWeek2020. I've been struggling with writing lately so this isn't what I wanted, but it's what I came up with. Hope it doesn't suck too bad.

"So tell me about this man you're seeing." The sound of her mother's voice broke Michelle from her thoughts and she snapped her head up from the magazine she had been reading.

When the hell had her mother gotten here?

"Excuse me?" And how did she get inside?

"The gentlemen who let me in most certainly wasn't Carlos." Oh crap. "And he definitely didn't look like he was just visiting."

She started racking her brain trying to remember what Owen had been wearing that morning.

"He's a friend mama." She figured that bending the truth was okay this time around.

It's not like her mom knew any different.

"Just a friend?" The older woman crossed her arms over her chest as she eyed her from the doorway. "Because he wasn't wearing a shirt and he was cooking in your kitchen like he belonged there."

Why wasn't Owen wearing a shirt?

Goddamn that man and his bare chest.

"He's staying with me while I recover…" Not that she needed someone to watch over her.

She was perfectly fine.

But her doctor had insisted and then Carlos had insisted and when Owen got word, well, he had practically moved himself in and refused to leave.

"Where's Carlos?" Normally he would be the one taking care of her, but not anymore.

No, now she had Owen.

"Working." Which was true, she thought.

Or maybe today was his day off.

Either way, he wasn't here, so what did it matter?

"Uh huh." Her mom wasn't buying her crap and she knew it. "Who is he Michelle?"

Time to face the music.

"His name's Owen. We work together." She didn't need to know anymore than that.

"Mixing business and pleasure… that's so…" She watched as her mom let out a sigh before shaking her head. "No, that sounds exactly like you."

"In all fairness, we didn't intend for this happen." However they had gotten here, it hadn't been planned.

Unfortunately for both of them tequila had done the talking that night.

And now, here they were, three months later.

And he was apparently cooking her dinner with no shirt on and she was having to explain it all to her mother.

"He isn't your boss is he?" That was so like her mother, to assume the worst.

"No. He's the fire captain." And she was the paramedic captain, making them equals.

Although Owen seemed to follow her lead a lot more than any of the other captains had.

"Interesting…" She didn't understand how, but whatever worked. "How long have you two been together?"

"A few months." Michelle much preferred normal questions about their relationship.

She was glad her mom seemed to move on from the awkward ones.

"And you're happy?" She found herself smiling at the question.

"Very happy." She had never been this happy in a relationship before.

"Well then I suppose that's all that matters." Her mom gave her a smile, a real, genuine smile, and she felt herself smiling back.

It might not have really mattered, but having her mom accept their relationship meant something to her.

Especially since it was probably the first time she'd ever been okay with a man that Michelle was seeing.

"He's a good man mama." She didn't know why she was whispering that line, it's not like she hadn't told Owen that a few times.

"He'd better be." Her mom chuckled as she moved to sit beside her on the bed. "I know where you keep the sharp knives."

Michelle found herself giggling and she watched as her mom joined her.

This wasn't how she wanted her to find out, but at least she didn't seem to bothered by it after all.