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“As good as I can be, given the circumstances. I thought your flight was coming in at noon.”
So did I.
“I got on an even earlier one. I didn’t want to bother you. I know you have a lot on your mind right now.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “It’s just crazy, you know. One day, she was there and then the next she was dead. I never would have thought that her life would have ended that way. She was doing so much better.”
“I mean, she was an addict, Ethan. What would you expect from someone who cares very little about her health?”
What was she talking about? Sure, Monica was an addict, but she had been clean for over two years. Her death had nothing to do with drugs.
“Yeah, you are right. Anyway, you must be tired. You probably got up super early. I can show you to your room if you want?”
Why wasn’t he correcting her?
She waved him off. “I know where it is, don’t worry. I will leave you to talk with yourfriend.”
She had covered the word friend with bitterness. I could tell I had struck a nerve earlier but, again, I didn’t care.
She left the room and headed up the stairs where her childhood bedroom was. I had helped Ethan clean it up before her arrival and it had been like being transported back into the past. That room held so many memories and meaningful moments from my youth it was suffocating to be in there.
When I heard the upstairs door open and close, I looked to my best friend.
“Why the hell didn’t you correct her?”
He looked at me feigning innocence, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is the coffee ready?”
“Ethan, don’t play dumb. You know exactly what the fuck I’m talking about. She thinks your mother died of an OD, but we both know Monica had been clean for over two years. She didn’t die of an OD. She died of kidney failure.”
“Shut up.” He whisper yelled. “She will hear you.”
“Why are you hiding that from her? Doesn’t she deserve the right to know how her mother died?”
“She does, and I will tell her in due time but not yet. I just got her to come to Riverroad. I don’t want to run her out of town again. If she knew our mom was sick, it would crush her. She hasn’t told me yet, but my mom told me the last conversation they had, and it wasn’t pretty.”
“Figures, your sister was always a bitch,” I grumbled under my breath.
“Dude, I get it that you have your beef with my sister, but don’t call her bitch. You don’t know how hard life was for her back then.”
“And what about for me, E? I was wrecked after she left. She took everything from me, and she killed it. I didn’t even get a say or a chance to plead my case. She just decided shit on her own like I didn’t even matter.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Look, I don’t want to start no beef with you either, Gray. I’m just saying for the next two days, can you guys try not to kill each other? I would greatly appreciate that.”
“I won’t speak to her unless I absolutely have to. You don’t have to worry about me and her getting into it. Okay?”
“Cool. I'm just going to grab a quick shower and then I’m going to head out to the practice. Are you going to stay here or are you heading to the shop?”
“I’m heading out just now. I need to go finish up Drew’s car, then I’m going to head down to Mom’s shop to see if she needs any help. Then I will probably head here at the end of the day or something. Did you need anything?”
“Nah, I got everything organized. We just need to wait for a few of Mom’s friends to fly in. I think Martha is the last one that gets in Thursday night and then we will have the funeral Friday.”
I could see him trying to hold back tears. I had never seen Ethan look so broken before in my entire life.
I stood from my chair and walked over to him. I was not an affectionate person, but I still pulled him into me and hugged him.
“Fuck.” I heard him sniff. “Why does it feel so bad?”
“Because she was your mom, and she meant the world to you. It’s normal to feel like this, and it will take some time before it starts hurting less.”
