Cam didn't know what to think when Moose's mom told her that she had insisted on meeting her and that the boy had promised her they were coming that weekend. She looked at Moose and saw annoyance in his demeanor, and at first, Cam wondered if she was the reason for it. Suddenly, the voice on the phone was of a man, and Cam was confused until he introduced himself as Robert Alexander II.
Moose grabbed the phone, and Cam thought about how similar he must be to his dad. The boy started talking fast about how his mom was crossing some serious boundaries by talking to Cam and trying to force the visit, while from what Cam could hear, his father was telling him that this wouldn't happen if he didn't lie to her. Moose got out of the car and walked a couple of steps away, preventing Cam from hearing the rest of his conversation, but by his hand movement, she was sure it wasn't a pleasant one.
Finally, a few minutes later, Moose returned and told Cam about his mom and her obsession with meeting her. "Cam, I don't want you to think I don't want you to meet my parents. In the future, for sure, but I want us to have more time before my mom starts taking up part of your time."
Cam told the boy that he was exaggerating, and she was sure that his mom was just worried about him and that after meeting her, she would calm down. Moose chuckled and told her about how his mom, after meeting Sophie, started to call the girl and make plans to go out at least once a month, which didn't include phone calls. Cam's expression validated why Moose didn't want her mom to start her bonding act; they had a rocky start, and he wanted Cam to have some time to feel secure in their relationship.
Sure, his mom had the best intentions, but he wanted a solid relationship with Cam, which would take at least a few months. The girl meeting her parents was going to have to wait, and he was going to make a trip to talk to his mother so that she got the message clear. The rest of the day, they spend talking about their plans for the next couple of weeks.
On their first anniversary, Moose took Cam out of the city for a romantic weekend, and he wasn't surprised when his girlfriend shared that his mom called her earlier that day to congratulate her on their anniversary. Moose rolled his eyes and asked if his mom had asked about their plans. She had already asked him, but Moose realized that his mother usually cross information with Cam."I told her where we were going and when we were leaving the three times she asked me. Do you use to lie to her? Because she keeps asking both of us about our plans every time she calls."
"Just a little, but she loved telling me stories of kids who lied and had terrible consequences, like Pinocho. " It had been six months since the girl met Moose's mom, and although she liked the woman, the boy wasn't exaggerating when he told her that his mom would force herself into her life. Cam had monthly brunch dates with Elena and weekly calls; sometimes, the woman would send snacks to her apartment. Of course, nine out of ten times, they would be Moose's favorite things or thighs that reminded her of him.
The boy asked Cam if she wanted him to have another conversation with his mom about how she needed to back off, but the girl said no. "I don't think she would do it even if you asked her again. Right now, I'm just looking forward to this weekend and spending some alone time together after being away for the holidays." Moose agreed; he had missed her when she went to visit Ty and Nora for the holidays, but he understood that Cam wanted to spend time with them. Next year, he was going to go with her to visit her family or was convincing the couple to spend the holidays with them.
The day before coming back to the city, Moose asked Cam to move in with him for the third time since they started dating, but this time, to his joy, she agreed. The entire drive back to the city was filled with planning for the move. "Moose, calm down. My lease doesn't end until March, so I will give notice that I won't be renewing it."
"Well, it's not really necessary that you stay there until March. We can start looking into selling your furniture. We bought everything for my apartment together, so it's definitely newer than yours. Sure, if you'd rather take some things to my place, there's no issue with me. Whatever you want is okay with me. " The reality of the move came crashing, and Cam started to feel overwhelmed.
Moose shared his ideas about the move and how quickly they could do it until they returned to their neighborhood, and Cam asked him to take her to her apartment. "Oh, I was thinking maybe we could go back to mine, and we could start talking in detail about the move."
"I'd rather go to my place and rest before classes tomorrow. We have three months to plan things, Moose." The boy reluctantly agreed. He stopped in front of her building and asked again if she didn't want to go home with him. "No, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
With that, Cam went into her building and practically ran upstairs to her apartment. Once there, she opened her fridge, looking for something to drink because suddenly her throat felt dry. Her phone started vibrating, and she hoped Moose wasn't calling her to talk about the move. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she noticed that the group chat started to fill with texts discussing what days they had available to help Cam move into Moose's apartment, and the girl wanted to scream. Looking back at a couple of texts, he saw Moose telling the group that they would move together and that it would be a great opportunity for everyone to come together. People started asking about possible dates, and Moose went on to say that as soon as possible would be fine with them, and that was the moment Cam's phone rang with a call from Andie.
"So, are you on board with the move, or did Moose go mad?" If she weren't so frustrated, Cam would've laughed, but the situation was turning gray. Andie told her that she was going to her apartment so they could talk about the situation with Moose and wrote in the only girls' chat that the move would happen closer to March after Cam gave the ok, so they should ignore Moose's ramble. The main chat came to a hold when the rest of the group got the message from the girls on direct messages. Moose tried to continue the conversation, but Ian wrote that they would check their calendars before talking more about the move.
Cam shared with Andie that she felt like moving in with Moose meant that she would no longer have her own things because there was no space for them in his apartment. "Now, everything there would be his. The apartment was his, and the things inside were his. I know he wouldn't mind me bringing something, but what would be the point if his things were newer? What happens if we break up? I'm not going to have anything."
"I get that you are scared, but if your first thought about moving in is what will happen if you guys break up, maybe you are not ready to move in." Cam agreed, but the idea made her smile when he asked her. Even now, she could see herself going there after work and finding Moose waiting for her. "Maybe you can put some of your things in storage for a few months and see how you feel about living with Moose. I think you should move with him next week, see how you like it for a couple of months, but commit to it. Don't go back to your apartment at all, at least for a month, so you see how it would be, and be honest with Moose about why you are doing it so he knows that it might be a scenario where you could move back into your apartment."
Cam thought about it and decided that Andie was right. If she moved in that week, she could try the move and even see if she wanted to take some furniture from her apartment. So, with that in mind, she texted Moose to come pick her up after class the next day, and then the girls went to sleep with the peace that having a plan gives.
The next day, things at school went great, although most of the students were still getting used to being back in class after the holidays. The last bell announced the end of the day, and while the students said their goodbyes, Moose came walking in, saying hello to her students, and then came to stand next to her, waiting for the last of the students to leave the room before kissing her. They made small talk for a few minutes while Moose helped her put her classroom in order and prepared the things she would need for the next day.
After everything was ready, they looked for Andie, but their friend was gone, so the couple went to the boy's apartment. On the way there, Cam started sharing with Moose how the move made her nervous; she explained everything as she practiced with Andie, and the boy apologized for making her uncomfortable. "I think is a great idea that we do a trial moving first, and even though the things we bought for my apartment are newer, there is no reason why we couldn't change them for some from your apartment. Look, yes, it is my apartment now, but the second you move in is going to be ours, and that means that it has to represent both of us."
Cam smiled, and they talked about Moose's work and a possible trip he was going to take next month to have a meeting. "Do you think there is a chance you could join me?"
"I don't think so. Classes just started, so there is no chance I can get time off, sorry." The boy assured her that he understood, and he went on sharing stories about his day. When they finally made it to her apartment, they ordered food, and Cam decided that she would move on the weekend so they could start their trial.
"Can I help you pack or get you some boxes? Is there anything I can do to help?" His eagerness made her smile, and Cam told him she would ask Andie to help her pack, but if he were okay with helping her with some boxes, that would be great. Moose smiled, and they spent the rest of the afternoon watching a movie on the girls' laptop.
By Wednesday, Cam's living room was filled with boxes, and the girl asked Moose to please stop buying them. Andie came on Thursday to help Cam pack her clothes, and that same night, Moose came to pick them up, so there was more space in her apartment. By Friday, all her clothes were gone, and she even chose some things she wanted to take to the boys' apartment.
Saturday was spent bringing little things that made the girl feel more at home, and Moose cooked for her to celebrate their first night together in the apartment. Sunday, Andie and Chase visited the couple, and the girls talked about the upcoming celebrations at their high school and how new committees were being created. Cam didn't sign into the carnival committee this year, but she would help in one of the stands next to Andie. Moose asked if he could attend, but the celebration was the day after he left on his trip, so he would miss the girls dressing up for the carnival.
Time flew by, and it was time for Moose to leave for his trip. The first weeks together proved to be filled with some tense situations, but the couple managed to navigate them, and soon, they started to find a balance in their day-to-day lives. When Moose left the apartment, he promised to call Cam when he arrived at his destination, and after that, they kissed goodbye. Cam was looking forward to having some time alone, even though she enjoyed living with Moose; after so many years of being alone, she needed her space.
The first days went by quickly with daily calls from Moose and his mom; apparently, the woman thought she needed to keep an eye on her while the boy was out of the city. At the end of the second week, it was time for her monthly brunch with Elena, which took a turn when Cam opened the door to leave; she found Moose's mom standing outside the building waiting for her.