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Her face was etched with guilt and fatigue. Emma liked to say she had wanderlust, but what she really had was an inability to stick. When a job got stressful, or a relationship got tough, she moved on. My parents had tried to send her to college, but during first semester, Emma took off with a guy to travel the country in his van.
I didn’t have to know anything about Joey to know he probably hadn’t had an easy life.
“Joey, this is your Uncle Mikey,” Emma said to him, getting down on her knees to help him take off his lined hoodie. “Should we see if he has snacks?”
“Can I have breakfast?” he asked.
It was after ten in the morning and the poor kid hadn’t had breakfast. I swallowed my frustration for his sake.
“I can make you some bacon and eggs,” I said. “Or pancakes.”
“All of it,” he said, his eyes brightening.
“You got it.”
Emma led her son to the couch in my living room.
“Baby, Uncle Mikey and I are going to make breakfast while you watch a show, okay?”
He nodded. Emma grabbed my remote and looked up at me.
“How do you work this thing?”
“You want to watch a show or play a video game?” I asked Joey. “I haveMario Brothers.”
“He’s only four. He doesn’t play video games,” Emma said.
“Mario,” Joey said.
I turned on the game and passed him a controller. His face lit up as he settled into the back of the couch and pushed buttons.
Emma followed me into the kitchen, where I started a pot of coffee before saying anything.
“I’m sorry to just drop in on you like this,” she said.
I opened the fridge and got out bacon, eggs, butter, and milk, possible responses flying through my mind. Much as I wanted to, I couldn’t dismiss my anger. She’d hurt our entire family.
“You know what’s going on with Andy?” I asked her as I sat the food on the kitchen island.
She nodded. “It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Do you know how he is?”
“The chemo’s kicking his ass. We won’t know if it’s working until they finish this round of treatment and run some tests.”
Emma smiled slightly. “I can’t believe Andy’s married with a kid. What’s his wife like?”
I took out a big skillet and opened the package of bacon. “Before you ask any questions, you need to answer some. Like where you’ve been for the past five years.”
She furrowed her brow. “New Orleans, then a couple places in New Mexico. Joey’s dad took off in Albuquerque and it’s just been me and him since then.”
“When was that?”
She shrugged. “Three years ago, I guess.”
“How have you been supporting yourself?”
“By working,” she said defensively.
“Yeah, but…how? With a kid to take care of?”
