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There was no telling Elise to dial it back. His sister had her reasons for feeling the way she did toward their mother. Most of them were the same as his, but he supposed Elise got the worst of it.
For some reason his mother thought Elise would move with her when she left. His mother forgot Elise was Daddy’s little girl and there was no way she was leaving his side.
If Elise was closer to her father it probably had more to do with the fact his mother threw dresses on Elise all the time when she said she didn’t want them. Their father stood up for his daughter and said to let her be the person she wanted and don’t shove her into a mold.
He’d never understood that as a kid, but as he got older Royce realized his mother tried to do that to his father.
“Becky,” Steve said. “Can we have a relaxing day, please? This generation isn’t like ours and you know it. No one dresses up for anything. I’ve told you time and again how many people wear jeans to the office now.”
His mother waved her hand. “That is so unprofessional.”
“The work is getting done,” Steve said. “That is all I care about. Please, Royce and Elise, come be seated and catch us up on everything.”
For as much as he hated visiting his mother he was at least thankful her second husband tried to keep the peace. He’d thought Steve was a wuss and controlled by his mother and by the looks going back and forth between them he was positive Steve would feel that wrath tonight, but it wasn’t his problem.
“Not much to say,” he said. “Work is busy.”
“And that is all the two of you spend your time doing,” his mother said. “At your ages you should be settled down, but you are never going to find someone if you don’t make time for it.”
“Work has nothing to do with finding someone,” he said.
Elise turned and looked at him and smirked and he wasn’t sure why. “Royce is right. He can’t find anyone because if you’re to be believed it’s the job he does and the way he looks. I suppose the same could be said about me. No man wants a woman that doesn’t host a party as well as you, right, Mom?”
“Elise,” Royce said. He wasn’t going to play the peacemaker today either, but he’d have to listen to this on the drive home too if he didn’t put an end to it. “Work is the same it always is, Mom. You never cared much about it before so no reason to talk about it now. How are things with you?”
“Things are lovely as always,” his mother said. “Steve and I are going to put an addition on the house.”
“That’s nice,” he said. “I’m surprised you’d want to live in the construction.”
“I don’t want to and will have to find things to do while they are here during the day, but it’s a means to an end,” his mother said.
“Royce,” Steve said. “Would you like to see the design?”
“Sure,” he said, getting up and following Steve to his office. Elise wouldn’t be thrilled she was left alone with their mother, but that wasn’t his problem. His sister could handle herself.
Steve pulled out the blueprints and he looked at the primary suite and sunroom that would be added to the back of the house. “It’s pretty big,” Steve said. “Your mother has hated to climb the stairs to the bedroom for years and she finally wore me down to put our room on the first level.”
It was probably more about the fact that Steve got sick of listening to the complaining daily. “I’m sure it’s going to be great when it’s done. You’ll get your money back if you ever sell.”
“No,” Steve said. “I won’t leave. I’m staying here and this is the only way to assure it was done.”
Which explained more of things. Steve owned this house when he met his mother. He’d lived here with his first wife and kids. Stepsiblings Royce had and didn’t talk to. He was positive they were coming this afternoon and that was why he and Elise were asked to come this morning. His mother wasn’t big on putting both families together.
“It will be a lot of unused space,” he said.
“It will,” Steve said. “I’ve got too many memories here to leave. Your mother understands that.”
Steve’s wife died of cancer three years prior to his mother meeting him. He also knew that Steve’s kids weren’t fond of his mother who probably came in and acted the same way as she did to her own kids.
If it worked in their marriage then so be it. It wasn’t his life and he was far enough away to not worry.
“I’m glad she understands something,” Royce said.
Steve laughed. “My kids will be here later today. She’s nervous. You know how she is.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I do. She needs to get her moodiness out on her own kids so she can be a ray of sunshine for yours.”
He hadn’t meant to say that when Steve frowned, but then his stepfather nodded his head and that said just about everything.
