Kyle barely refrained from rolling his eyes at his dad.“I agree, Dad.She’s done amazingly well to make it so far.”
“Don’t tell me you’re falling for her again.”Mom’s eyes were like flint.“I won’t let her destroy your life again.”
“Mom, my life is hardly destroyed.”
“You need to calm down, Pippa,” Dad said.“Otherwise you’ll get angina again and may have to go to emergency and be seen by the woman you hate most in the world.”
“Wow.”Kyle suspected his dad was joking, but he hated that they both saw Gen like that.
Mom stuck her hands on her hips.“Can I help it if I can’t forgive her?”
“I don’t know why you can’t.What did she ever do to you?”
“Because I hate what she did to you.You’ve never dated because she did a number on you.”
“I’ve dated,” he protested.Had a bunch of first dates until he found Jesus.Then couldn’t see the point as he didn’t want to date unless he could find forever.And even though he’d tried the Christian dating app Dream Match it hadn’t worked.He guessed until things were finally resolved with a certain pretty doctor working downstairs that he’d never really move on.
“Nothing that lasted,” Mom complained.“No one you introduced us to.I just want you to be happy, Kyle.I want you to find someone to settle down with.”
“She wants to be a grandmother,” Dad inserted.
“Is that so bad?”Mom demanded.“What’s wrong with that?You know my friend Roberta has a daughter your age and I just know you two would hit it off.”
Kyle silently exhaled, working to keep his temper at bay.He still felt new at this Christian walk, so what was the godly response here?What would Jesus do?Probably not swear at his mom.
“Kyle has the right to live his life the way he chooses,” Dad said, taking it for the team.
“But we’re getting older.And accidents like this,” she gestured to Kyle’s injury, “only make us more aware that life is short and we never know how much time we have.”
Good to see Mom knew Kyle’s life was supposed to revolve around her.Lord, give me patience.And wisdom.“Mom, I promise to make more of an effort.And when I find someone you’ll be the first to know.”
“As long as it’s not Genevieve.”She rolled her eyes as she always did when she said Gen’s name aloud—she thought it pretentious, which was ironic, coming from her.“Anyone but her and I’ll be happy.”
“Noted.”But not agreed to.
“Good.”Mom eyed him for a moment, a slight frown in her gaze.“Well, I might see if there’s a coffee at the café.Want one?”
“I don’t drink coffee, Mom,” Kyle reminded her.
“I meant David.”
Okay.
She left, her exit drawing an audible sigh of relief from Dad.
Yep.Same.“Is she safe downstairs?You don’t think she’ll try to find Gen, do you?”
Dad sighed.“I’m afraid that after being married to that woman for thirty years there’s nothing she wouldn’t do.”
Kyle winced.“I really don’t want her harassing Gen.She’s just trying to do her job.”
Dad studied him with one of those long looks that said he saw more than Kyle was comfortable with.“You do still have feelings for her.”
He shook his head.“It’s not feelings.It’s just there’s a lot of stuff that feels unresolved.We broke up, and it was mutual, sure—even if Mom always wanted to blame Gen.But I always felt like it was weird that she and I never communicated again.Then, when I went back to find her, it was like she’d disappeared off the planet.Until boom, here she is again.”
Dad nodded, as a nurse came in.“I might go see how that coffee is going.”
“Thanks.That might be wise.”He wouldn’t put it past his mom to bail up Gen and insist she never see Kyle again.
