Page 68 of SnowBound

My mother avoided my eyes. “Can we sit? I’ll make tea.”

I dragged a hand over my face, the exhaustion from my earlier performance catching up on me. “O-okay.”

She bobbed her head, fidgeting with the bracelet around her wrist while motioning toward the kitchen, her gait tense and her back straight. I studied her demeanor. Something was wrong. I could tell. My mother was usually an endless well of contagious cheerfulness. Not tonight. I had no memory of ever having seen her acting this anxious before.

“Does it have to do with your earlier travel down memory lane?”

Keeping her back to me, she shrugged.

I closed the distance and clasped her shoulders from behind. “Ma, talk to me. What’s going on?” Something wasn’t right. The air around us became charged. My hair stood on end on my arms, and something twisted in my stomach. “Are you sick?”

She twirled around and cradled my face with her small hands. “No. Nothing like that, I swear.”

I huffed out the breath I was holding in. From up close, I noticed the redness in her eyes when they locked on mine. “You’re not acting like yourself. What’s going on?”

“Sit down. I’ll bring tea. Gimme a minute, and I’ll explain everything.”

Minutes later, she took the chair next to mine at the kitchen table after placing a steamy mug in front of me on the wooden surface.

Playing with the handle of hers, my mother focused all her attention on the tea bag floating in the hot water.

“So…about that… The thing is… When you left to play your set tonight, I did… I just…”

I enveloped her hand in mine. “Ma, get to the point.”

She bobbed her head. “Sure.” She swallowed and watched me for a moment. “First, let me repeat how proud I am of you and the man you are becoming and the artist you are. Never doubt it.”

“I never did.”

“Good. It’s good. Earlier, I was going through your album photos, trying to convince myself to reach out to your father.”

“My father? The man who abandoned you when you got pregnant with me? The jerk who chose his other family over us because he couldn’t care less about you? And me?” Anger boiled in my bloodstream at the mention of my sperm donor, the most selfish man walking the surface of this earth. “That guy? Why would you want to talk to him after everything he did…or didn’t?”

“We gotta talk about this, you and I. It’s important.”

I jumped to my feet, my chair scraping as I pushed it back. “No thanks. Not interested.”

My mother’s head snapped upward, and her fingers gripped my wrist before I could make it to my room. “Anderson, wait.” Her soft tone quieted my raging thoughts. The ones that had taken over my mind in the last minute or so. “I’m not done.”

“Well, I am.”

My mother moved to her feet, not letting go of me, her face more serious than it had ever been. “Sit. Now.”

“Ma.”

“Don’t Ma me.” She pointed to the chair I just vacated. “Sit.”

Before I could even think about all I wanted to say, the words exited my mouth on their own. “No.” I folded my arms over my chest, and she had to let go of me. “I’m not having this talk. Anything concerning that dickhead, I don’t wanna hear about it. After nineteen years, you think I’m interested in stuff related to him? Think again.”

“Anderson, he could help you with your music career.”

“Not. Interested. I don’t care if he’s the president. He’s nothing to me.”

“Anderson, we had a deal. And you’ve been keeping your end. I know I haven’t been supportive so far of your music career. I really wanted you to get a college degree first. But I saw those videos you sent me. And Rufus’s father sent me one tonight.” Her lips tilted up, and she cupped her heart. “You are so talented. And I think you are ready for more. And your father is well connected in the business. He could coach you. Make sure you have a mentor, someone you can trust in the industry. It’s a shark’s world. When you finish your degree and if you decide to pursue this musical career, at least you’ll know what to expect and which doors to knock on. Who to trust and who not to trust.”

I blinked a million times. She was fucking high. How could my mother believe for one second I’d agree to this?

“Did you fucking smoke crack?”