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I stare at her and then shake my head. “What? Where are you going?”
“Well, Richard asked me to come back to the city with him, and I said I’d love to. Just for the week and then I’ll be back.”
She what? Wait, this Richard guy didn’t ditch her? Didn’t stop calling and just disappear? It didn’t come out that he was actually married with a family or that he was dating several women at once?
This feels wrong. Like maybe he’s going to lure her somewhere and murder her.
I’m standing there stunned as I stare at her, just waiting for something else to come up, but she doesn’t say anything. “But, Mom, your job…”
Again, she’s totally calm, smiling bright with anticipation. “It’ll be fine. I’ve got it covered and handled.”
I don’t think it will be fine, but then again, what am I gonna say? No? That she can’t go? I can’t, and even if I did, she’d still do what she wanted. She’s the adult, as she likes to remind me, even if there are days she doesn’t act like it.
“You’re going to go away with this guy for a week? You just met.”
Again, her smile is large and unwavering. I don’t get this side of her often. If ever. Something seems different, but I try to shake away that feeling. It won’t be. It never is. This guy is going to just drag it out longer, I guess. Get a nice week in before he inevitably ends it.
She cups my face in her hands and seems very calm, very sure. “Honey, he’s a great guy. He really is.”
I frown because seriously. “Mom, you always say that.”
She drops her hands, but she doesn’t seem angry about me calling her out. Normally she gets defensive when I bring thisup. “I know.” She takes a deep breath and releases it. “But he’s different. He hasn’t made me any promises. None actually.” She laughs, and I would find it weird except she’s still smiling. “He’s honest. He wants to see where this will go and so do I. It feels like a new beginning.”
I want that for her. I really do. I’ve always wanted her to be happy. But what else can I say? I just have to wait this one out and see where the cards fall.
My shoulders sag, and I sigh. “Alright, well I’m here now. How can I help?”
She holds out her suitcase and waggles her eyebrows at me.
“Help me pack.”
My mom left. The man who is taking her out of town for the week drove up to our place a mere thirty minutes after I got home to help my mom frantically pack. He got out of his car at least, and helped her stuff her suitcases in the trunk. He waved at me as I stood on the porch watching them, and I waved back, reluctantly.
Richard Davidson. That’s his name. He didn’t look as smarmy as I thought he would in his suit and tie and polished shoes. The smile he gave me seemed nice, but he’s not to be trusted.
He’s taking my mom away for a week, a whole goddamn week without a care in the world for her job, or her son. She needs to be here, with me, so I can look out for her, but instead, she’s traipsing into the city with this guy onhiswhim. Her heart is undoubtedly going to be shattered in due time.
I sigh, lifting my phone over my face as I lounge on my bed. One cat is on my stomach and the other is lying between my legs.Their purrs travel through my body and calm me somewhat. At least someone is unworried and peaceful.
My thumbs tap out a message to Jimbob, mainly because I want to talk to him. I also want to kiss him again. I want him to just hold me and tell me everything will be okay. I want to tell him about my mom. About this hell I seem to be stuck in. I want to roll around in a cornfield with him even if we get busted.
But as soon as I write something, I erase it and then just stare at the ceiling. I don’t want to come across as desperate, needy. Even though I am. I’ve come to realize this. I have been so damn needy my whole life and yet, no one has really been able to fill that for me or had the ability to take care of me.
Maybe because I’ve been taking care of my mom for so long. Maybe Jimbob is the person who could actually be there for me.
He’s reliable and steady and loyal.
He’s probably the best human I’ll ever meet.
When he messages me a few hours later, asking me if everything is okay, I respond, lightly explaining away the fact that my mom is out of town for a week and then jokingly saying that I’ll use this time to clean out the house.
The next morning, a soft knock pulls me to the front door, and I find Jimbob, two cups of coffee in his hand, as well as a wagon full of cleaning supplies.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my eyebrows raised.
“Here to help you clean up. You said you were gonna do that today.”
“I was mostly joking,” I reply, even though I let him in. The cats instantly flock to him, and he picks one up and then the other, nuzzling his face in their fur.
