Damaged Souls (Broken Man)

chapter Two


Greg arrived home near eleven o’clock after a long day and a longer weekend. As he unlocked the door and walked into the house, he was surprised to find his mother still awake and sitting at the kitchen table, a bottle of wine perched just in front of her. This isn’t going to go well, Greg thought, why couldn’t she be passed out as usual.

“Hey, Mom,” he tried to gauge her level of drunkenness as he sat down at the table. “What’s going on.”

“What are you doing home so late on a school night,” she slurred her words. “I’m still your mother you know.”

“I was just over at Delaney’s house,” Greg replied curtly as he took in the condition of their living area and stood up to straighten the kitchen.

“So, your little girlfriend is more important than me now. I barely saw you all weekend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, mom,” Greg really didn’t want to hear it. “And it’s not like you would have seen me anyway even if I had been home.”

“Don’t get fresh with me young man, I’m still your mother,” she repeated herself as she reached for the bottle of wine and knocked it over. “Now look at what you’ve made me do.”

“Goddamn it,” Greg swore quietly as he moved his books off the table.

“Don’t swear at me, Greg.”

“I’m not swearing at you, Mom,” Greg realized she was trying his well worn patience as he picked up the bottle and threw a towel onto the puddle of wine. “Why don’t you go to bed. We can talk in the morning.”

“We can talk now. You can’t avoid me forever, Greg. You never spend any time with me anymore. Don’t you still love me.”

“It’s not that,” he tried to be reassuring. “I just have a lot of school work not to mention a bunch of lawns to mow and events to work at the hotel on top of that. It doesn’t leave me a lot of time.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” she replied, somehow aware she had gone too far. “It’s just that I still miss him sometimes.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Greg replied cooly, accustomed to her sudden mood changes. “I miss him, too. Let’s get you to bed, okay.”

“Okay, Greg,” she complied as he helped her up from the table and started the walk down the hall. “You know I love you right.”

“I know,” he answered as they reached her room and he deposited her into bed. “I love you too, now try to get some rest.”

Greg knew she was already passed out and wouldn’t remember anything in the morning as he quietly exited her room.

* * *

“What are you doing up,” Amanda asked as Delaney closed the screen door behind her and stepped onto the porch.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Delaney replied as she sat down at the table. “Too much excitement today I guess. Where’s Jack.”

“He had to go back to the hotel for a little while. He’ll be home soon. Is everything okay, honey.”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Delaney hesitated, unsure she could talk about the thoughts she was having with Amanda quite yet. “I’m just a little worried about Greg.”

“How do you mean,” Amanda appeared perplexed. “He seemed like he was fine today.”

“You know Greg, he is never going to show what he’s really thinking,” Delaney thought of how to handle her subject. “I just get the feeling that his mother isn’t doing well.”

“What makes you say that Delaney. Has he said anything to you.”

“Not yet,” she replied, knowing that he wouldn’t. “But, I can just tell he is worried about something.”

“Do you want me to talk to him,” Amanda offered her help as she took a sip of wine. “My door is always open to him or to his mother for that matter.”

“No, that’s okay,” Delaney tried to figure out how to handle the situation. “I don’t think he is going talk to you or me about it. Do you think maybe Jack could talk to him.”

“That might be a good idea, I will talk to him about it,” Amanda understood where Delaney was going. “Is anything else bothering you Delaney. You just don’t seem yourself.”

“No, I’m okay,” she was too embarrassed to talk about the the other things she was feeling for Greg. “How about you. Did you have a good time today.”

“I had a great time. I was just thinking that I can’t believe Logan is already four years old. Time does move quickly.”

“He had a big time today,” Delaney replied as she thought of Logan. “He loved the party and he loved the movie Greg and I took him to.”

“Yeah, he couldn’t stop talking about it all night. Thanks for doing that by the way. I love that little boy, but he wears me out sometimes. That nap today was a godsend.”

“But did you get any sleep,” Delaney teased Amanda about her so called nap.

“Delaney, I am shocked,” she laughed about her not so secret sex life. “But, yes, we did manage to get a little sleep, at least for a few minutes.”

“God, you guys are just like teenagers,” Delaney pretended to be grossed out as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t you ever get sick of each other.”

“We haven’t yet,” Amanda responded as she seemed to relive her afternoon with Jack. “That man is something else.”

“Oh, gross,” Delaney laughed at Amanda’s bedroom eyes and enjoyed the always informal nature of their conversations as she stood up from her chair. “I better get to bed, sounds like you could use some time alone.”

“Very funny, Delaney,” she chuckled before taking on a more serious tone. “But if you need to talk, you know about anything, I’m always here.”

“Thanks, Amanda, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay, sleep well.”

* * *

Greg couldn’t concentrate on his homework as he sat at the kitchen table and thought about his mother as midnight approached. Maybe Delaney is still up, he thought to himself as he pulled out his phone and sent her a text. She’ll help take my mind off of her.

No response. Not even a hint or one of those thought bubbles. Is that what they’re called, Greg wondered as he got up and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. She must be sleeping, he concluded as he sat down and tried again to focus.

It had been almost seven years since his father’s death, Greg realized as he took a sip of beer and opened his Trig book. She should be over it by now, he thought to himself as the equations made no sense in his distracted state. But instead, she had actually regressed during the past year.

What is going on with her, Greg wondered as he again tried to turn his attention to the work in front of him. She had actually gotten better for a few years, finding a steady job and limiting her drinking to the weekends. They even settled into a somewhat steady routine and she seemed to be getting better by the year.

But, the last six months had been a disaster. It all started in September with a DUI. Greg remembered picking her up at the police station and the sickening feeling that this was the start of something that wasn’t going to end well. Fortunately, Jack helped him get a good lawyer, and his mother had been lucky to only receive a fine, probation, and a suspended license instead of jail time.

However, what should have been a wakeup call instead turned into her surrender. Rather than finding a bottom and fighting to turn it around, his mother chose to give up. Instead of accepting his offer to drive her to work and pick her up every day, she opted just to quit.

She even turned down Amanda’s generous offer of free counseling, instead choosing the easier alternative, heavy doses of alcohol.

For the last few months, she spent her days drinking in the house, not just on the weekends, but every day. No, there wasn’t any question in Greg’s mind anymore, his mother was a full blown alcoholic.

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his phone, and Greg was pleased to see one of those so called thought bubbles with Delaney’s name above it asking if he was still there. I’m glad she’s up, he thought to himself as he punched in a response.

Hey, what r u doing up



Couldn’t sleep and decided to check my phone, u ok



Yeah, I’m ok, couldn’t sleep either



What’s wrong?



Greg had to think for a second as to how to answer this question. Sure, Delaney knew a little about his Mother’s problems, but he had never burdened her with the full extent of her disease. She doesn’t need to know all that, Greg decided as he typed in a response.

Nothing’s wrong, just my mom was a little drunk when I got home.



Is she ok



Yeah, she is sleeping now, how was the rest of your night



Good, do u want to come over and talk



Wow. Greg had no idea how to answer that one. What does she mean? Of course I want to come over and talk, he thought of lying in bed with her and holding her in his arms as they shared their most intimate feelings. But that is not what she means, she’s just being a friend, he realized as he decided what to type.

I would love to, but it’s after midnight, we both need some sleep



r u sure



Yeah, I’m ok



Ok, but I’m here if u need me



Thanks, Delaney, c u tomorrow



Ok, c u then



Greg tossed his phone on the table and smiled as he thought of Delaney. She is something else, his mind again wandered as he thought of how it would feel to be with her. It would be nice he decided, not that he knew how it felt to be with any woman never mind Delaney.

Call it romantic, but Greg wanted the first time to be perfect, even if it was somewhat embarrassing to still be a virgin at eighteen. No, he didn’t want to wait for marriage like that famous quarterback, but he did want the moment to be special and he did want to have feelings for the first woman who granted him that kind of privilege. It has to Delaney, he decided as he deposited the empty bottle of beer in the trash can and closed his Trig book.

Maybe I should go see her, Greg second guessed his decision as he switched off the kitchen light and made his way to his bedroom. I can’t do that, it wouldn’t be respectful of Jack and Amanda, he decided as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed. No, he would never violate their trust by sneaking into Delaney’s bedroom, not in a million years after all they had done for him, no matter how she always made him feel whenever he was with her.

It’s not like anything would happen anyway.

* * *

Delaney placed her phone back on the night table and again worried about Greg. I wonder what he thought I meant when I invited him over, she asked herself as she remembered the delay in his response. I wonder what I meant as well, Delaney rolled over onto her back and tried to figure it out.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since I moved here, Delaney wondered if living with Jack and Amanda could have anything to do with her recent feelings for him. Those two are sickening, Delaney smiled as she thought about the way they practically chased each other around the house, the way their bodies seemed to find each others’ whenever they were in the same room. God, I can’t even imagine the things they do to each other when they are finally alone.

And, they are best friends, just like me and Greg. Could it just be natural what I am feeling for him? Could we have that same chemistry like Amanda and Jack? Could he possibly feel the same way about me as I do about him?

I do want him to come over, Delaney realized as she fantasized about him climbing through her window and spending the night, just the two of them alone in her bed. I wonder what it would feel like, she closed her eyes and tried to visualize the moment with which she had no experience to speak of. I think it would feel pretty good, Delaney felt herself react as her hand moved to her diaphragm and she felt his presence inside her body as she took a deep breath.

No, he doesn’t feel the same way about me, Delaney decided as she opened her eyes and remembered how he reacted to her invitation. He wouldn’t have turned me down so easily if he was really interested. No, Greg just sees me as a friend, and he has way too much on his mind to ever see me as anything more.

What is wrong with me, Delaney felt her emotions tied up in knots. But it’s not just my mind, she realized and again felt the tension she was unsure how to handle as her fingers found the inside of her thigh and she felt her muscles tense. Why am I thinking about him like that?

I need to get over these feelings for him once and for all, Delaney’s mind spoke the truth her body seemed unwilling to accept as she rolled over on her side and tried to go to sleep.