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“Baby, Bobbie wants you too. I've never seen her so lovesick, and I've known her all her life.” It was apparent why Bobbie loved Midge so much. She had stepped into the role when Bobbie needed a mother.
“Do you believe in instant attraction? Love at first sight?” He never believed in it until he met Bobbie. He would have bet his right nut that love was just a figment of people's imagination.
“Oh yes.” Her voice faded into a whisper. “My Daniel was working on a farm near my home when he rode by me on a big black stallion. That was it for me. I first fell in love with the horse, and since it came with Daniel, I took him, too.” Midge stared toward the street. Her smile told him she was reliving the moment.
“Did Daniel die from cancer?” The light in Midge's eyes faded.
“Yes, he died three months before Bobbie's mom.” She patted his hand.
“I work for the same company that killed your husband.” He hoped she wouldn't pull away when he placed his hand over hers. He wanted to offer comfort.
“That doesn't make you a bad man. But knowing what they are capable of should make you cautious. Tell me, what's bothering you?” Midge flagged a waiter down and ordered him a coffee.
After taking a deep breath, he told Midge everything from the testing results to his mother and his possible departure from Colorado. When he finished purging, he felt like a weight had been heaved from his chest. It felt so good to have a sounding board older than him.
“Any advice for me?”
“Yes, of course. I'm an old woman, and I'm full of advice.” The waiter delivered the coffees, and Midge doctored hers up. “Not sweet enough on my own,” she said while spooning sugar into her cup. “My number one piece of advice is to follow your heart first, next your mind, and last, the head in your pants. If you love my girl, you'll do anything to make her happy, which means you'll stay.”
“I want that more than you know.” He couldn't imagine a breath without Bobbie, much less a life.
“You can't worry about the tests or your job until the results come back. When they do, you tackle them one at a time. You make the best choices you can make. As for your mom, you're part of her addiction. She's a grown woman with a grown son. That mother of yours should have cared for you, not the other way around. She can hold a job, and she should because when she does, it will make her life richer. Let her live with her sister if you can't buy her a house in Florida. She'll buy her own house when she's ready. It's time to cut her loose, son.” Her message echoed in his head. Bobbie had delivered the same message but with different words.
He rubbed his face on his sleeve. “I'm so afraid of her having a relapse.”
“Honey, talk to her. She might surprise you. Now you go home and let Bobbie love you.” When Midge rose from her seat, she pulled him in for a big hug.
He held on a bit too long, but it felt good to be held by a mother.
He picked up a bouquet and a bottle of wine on the way home. Midge was right. He had to let one woman loose so he could embrace the love he wanted from another. Once he did that, he'd toast with Bobbie to their future. Somehow, he'd figure out a way to stay.
When he got to his apartment, he sat on his couch and took deep breaths of courage. His fingers trembled as he dialed his mom's number.
“Little man, how are you?” His mother's voice was light and happy.
“Mom, we need to talk.” His voice shook. This was a conversation they needed to have, but not one he would enjoy.
Her words were dispensed slowly and guardedly. “Okay. What do you need?”
“I can't buy that house for you, Mom.”
Silence filled the air.
Deadly silence.
Tequila-tipping silence.
“It's been a struggle,” she said finally. “But I've been sober for a year now.”
“I know, Mom, and I'm proud of you, but I can't do this anymore.” Words flowed from him like water from a ruptured dam. “I don't know how to say this with diplomacy, so I'll just say it. You need to be a mom again. I can't be the parent anymore.”
“I love you, Beau.” An awkward silence filled the air. “I know I've let you down over the years. I let you take care of me because you were so good at it, and it was easier for me to bury my head in the sand. You acted with honor always, and I'm proud of you. Your father would be proud of you, too. Not being able to buy a house for me is not the end of the world. I can stay with Aunt Sarah until I figure it out.”
“You didn't deserve that roach-infested apartment.” Disgust colored his voice.
“I did it to myself, Beau. I lost everything to grief when I should have embraced the joy that remained.” She whispered her next words: “And it's time for you to let go.”
He laughed because at that moment, he realized the problem wasn't just with his mom but also with him. He was trapped in the past and was holding her there with him. She was ready to live again, and he was finally ready to set her free.
