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“What are you doing here? Besides making a mess that I’ll have to clean up when you leave.”
“I told you I was coming, Lexi. And I promised Ax.”
“She did! I told you she would come and all of you said she wouldn’t. See.” He smiles brightly, with unsuspecting innocence and excitement.
“Yes, baby, Mommy always keeps her promises.”
“Since when!” Ryan scoffs, his anger slipping from his usual chill and relaxed demeanor. “What the hell are you doing here besides wrecking the place? We don’t have anything to give you. You can leave.”
“I’m your mother, Ryan. No one likes a freaking bratty kid. Drop the attitude.” She jabs a finger in his direction, forgetting her caring mother act for a hot second. “Especially after I came all this way to see you and make sure you were doing okay.” She smooths her hand over Axel's hair, then walks toward Ryan with outstretched hands. “Come and give me a hug, I missed you.”
“Get real. No one wants a hug from you.” He backs up out of her reach.
“Stop being mean to her.” Axel glares at Ryan. “You’re going to make her leave again!”
Ryan huffs. “Whatever,” and walks away, dropping down on the living room couch. “You’ll figure her out soon enough, Ax.”
Oh god. She makes everything so much worse than it has to be. Thank god these little pop-ups are few and far between. How the hell did she even get in here? The last time she passed through she said she lost her keys. I guess she found them. Add new locks to the growing list of things that need to be fixed in this house. The first thing on the list of things to fix now is Axel. The longer she stays, the harder it’s going to be on him when she disappears and leaves without so much as a see-ya around kid.
“I need to talk to you. Outside.” I nod my head toward the door at her.
“Don’t let her leave, Lexi.” Axel stares at me with laser beams in his eyes.
Like I’m the one who’s going to hurt him, instead of our deadbeat mother.Great! “Axel, I’m just going to talk to her about something. Go sit with your brother. We’ll be back.”
I brush past her outside and she follows. “Cut the crap, we both know this isn’t a fucking social call, Vanessa,” I say to her, getting straight to the point. “What'd you want? What’re you looking for? Cash, we don’t have any.”
“Huh, how little you think of me. I wanted to visit my unfairly hostile children. While I was waiting for you to come home I remembered the last time I was here I forgot something. It’s a little disorganized in there.” She points over her shoulder to the door like the mess she made doesn’t matter. “But I will straighten it back up.”
She is unbelievable. Forgot something on her lastvisit…yeah right. More like something she forgot to steal. “You forgot four somethings…your fucking kids!”
“Lexi—“
“No.” I get up close to her and lower my voice so Axel won’t hear, getting a hold of my anger enough so I don’t smack her. “You listen to me, I don’t know what you’re after and I don’t care. You’re not welcome here.”
“Says you?” She lifts her head, staring at me.
“Says any of us. If that not-in-anyway warm, welcome wasn’t made clear by Ryan and me.”
“Axel wants me here. I’m sure he’d be hurt by the way you’re treating me right now. So mean, Lex.”
I huff and roll my eyes. “That is exactly why you’re going to get your straggly ass out of here.”
“I’m not leaving. I came to visit my kids. I’m not going to disappoint Axel. Unlike you, who is going to break his heart if I leave. Is that what you want? An endless amount of tears?”
“Oh, you're good. But I’m not that little girl anymore who you can manipulate with your guilt trips. You’re going to leave, but only after you take your stray alley cat ass back inside and spend some time with your youngest son. The only one who gives a damn about you and is still innocent enough to believe anything that snakes out of your lying lips. You’re going to lavish attention and praise on him like he’s the most wonderful boy in the world. You’re going to play games with him and listen to his stories and act like the mother you couldneverbe andneverwere. For him, you’re going to give him that today.”
“And what if I don’t want to follow your orders, Lexi? You’re forgetting who’s the mother and who’s the child.”
“If you want to step foot in this house again or continue to receive the government money for the son you don’t even live with or take care of…you know what you’re going to do.”
That catches her attention. She straightens up, lips pressed together. Axel has a few issues and every month she gets a little check deposited into her account. We look the other way and say nothing, as long as she doesn’t bring her troubles our way. Even though we could use that money.
“You wouldn’t do that. It would also put all of us at risk. Well, Ryan, Drew, and Axel. They’re minors.”
“I would love to introduce you to the new guy I’m dating. His name is Noah. Officer Noah James. I believe you’re acquainted with the back of his squad car. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to reacquaint you with it again.” I don’t know where the hell that came from or why the hell I would say it, but she is calling my damn bluff. She knows I wouldn’t make that call and run the risk of the city coming to get the boys. But for some reason, his name is the first that pops into my mind.
“You wouldn’t.”
