POLLUX PULLEDTHE LEASH SO HARD I was sure he had pulled my shoulder out of it’s socket. Where this little thirty pound mutt got his power, I had no idea, but at the end of the leash, he was dangerous.
I finally managed to answer the phone ringing in my hand after getting him back under control.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Marcus!” My mother’s happy tones came through, and it brightened my mood immediately.
“Hey, Mom,” I answered, carefully checking both directions on the one way street. I had learned that the hard way when I was almost taken out by a taxi at two in the morning.
“How’s the new place?”
“I have a couch, TV and bed, Mom. Same as when I left. I’m living out of cardboard boxes and Hungry Man microwave meals are as gourmet as I’m getting right now.”
“You really need a dresser, Marcus. Why don’t Dad and I drive down this weekend.”
“Mom. Stop. It’s fine. I knew this was the way it was going to be when I moved down here. I’m okay with it. The point was not a dresser, the point was the job.”
“Right, right.” she admitted. “How’s that going?”
I chuckled. “Same as it was yesterday, Mom.”
She laughed. “Okay, all right. I might miss having you around the house a bit, Marcus. I’m suffering empty nest.”
“Charlene and the kids are three blocks away. I’m sure she’d be happy to send her beasts over to you once in a while to remind you why young people have kids and older people retire and have empty nests.”
She started laughing. “I know, I know. I just miss coffee and bagels with my boy.”
“Aw.” I swooned a bit. I was totally my mom’s favorite and I knew it. I didn’t try to exploit it though. “You knew this had to happen. I couldn’t make it as a voice actor in Troy.”
“You were doing fine with the books,” she said, sadly, but I knew she was playing the guilt card at this point.
“Yes, but I can’t just live on books, Mom. If I ever want to do movies, I have to be closer to the action.” I smiled and pulled Pollux back on his leash, away from the over-groomed Pomeranian he was currently sniffing in consideration for a hump. “I’m still doing the books anyway, and they haven’t let me near their editing equipment yet. I’m still in training.”
“Training? Four years of college…”
“It’s orientation, Mom. Just showing me around, getting me used to the place, the people, the policies. Next week, I’ll start shadowing their Vivid editor.”
“And how’s my granddog doing?” I could hear the laughter in her voice.
“He’s peeing on every tree and making New York his,” I answered.
God, I loved my parents. They were just the best and I was so lucky to have them. Even though I knew Mom was honest about her missing me, I also knew that she and Dad were proud of me, and they were willing to do anything for my two older sisters.
Charlene, Christy-Anne, and I had sat down when I made the decision to move to New York City. It was time for our parents to enjoy retirement, and they were young enough to do that. We all knew Mom lived for her kids—she was an award winning math teacher after all. So not having any of us at home was going to be tough. Charlene promised to bring the grandkids over often. Christy-Anne promised she would take Mom out to coffee at least once a week, and I promised I would always answer the phone and do my best to visit once every two months.
I’d been in the city a week. Mom called every day. Dad called every night. It was just sothem.
“And how about you, Marcus? Found anyone worth marking?”
“Mom, ew. I don’t pee on my dates.”
“Marcus Chastain Romano, ew.”
We both burst out laughing. She might have been an award winning teacher, but that was math. English was fun with her. She tried to be funny, but often accidently made a sexual innuendo. Which was fun once the three of us were old enough to get the jokes that had often sent my father running for a napkin to prevent a spit-take.
“All right, Mom, I gotta get going. Pollux looks like he’s ready to wine and dine every bitch on the block and I don’t think the owners would appreciate that. I’ll talk to Dad tonight.”
“You’re avoiding my question, Marcus!”
