I nodded and looked her over. She watched me watching her until she blushed and had to turn away. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?” I asked.
She pretended to be giving my question some real thought. “Almost as much as I love you,” was her responses.
I smiled as I leaned in to kiss her again, and this time she didn’t protest. Eventually I let her get back inside and out of the cold, shooting her a text once I made it home safely.
My house was quiet, which I was grateful for. Quiet meant that I didn’t have to keep anyone company or pretend to like being a part of this family. Quiet meant I’d have the rest of the night to myself in peace. I thought back on Mr. Kelley’s reaction to what Sam and I had done and I even thought over the lecture that he gave afterward. No, I didn’t like that my actions disappointed him, but I couldn’t get over the way it felt to be dealt with by a parent who treated me like a human being, not a pawn in some big elaborate game of greed and deceit. Sam’s father was a good guy and I honestly envied her a little.
I had a lot on my mind when I dozed, but felt refreshed when I got up the next morning. There was again the aroma of home-cooked food lingering in the air, but this time I wasn’t as tempted. I learned the hard way that the price of a good meal in this house is that I’d have to eat at my father’s table with him being…well…him. I decided to pass.
Hours had gone by since I got up and showered, but I still hadn’t ventured beyond my bedroom door. I texted Sam for a while, dozed again, and listened to the radio to pass the time. Finally, at around noon, a knock at the door got me out of bed.
My mother’s expression was one of concern. “Are you feeling alright?” She asked.
I gave shot her a puzzled look, unsure why she’d ask that. “Yeah…fine. Why?” I asked with a shrug.
She couldn’t believe that I had to ask. “Because no one’s seen you all morning! You never came down to eat or speak to our guests, of –“
“Dad’s guests,” I sighed, bracing my shoulder against the doorframe.
She fell silent for a moment. “Well…either way. They’re staying in our home and we need to do everything we can to make them feel welcomed.”
I took a deep breath and waited for whatever favor my mother was getting ready to ask of me.
“The twins are getting restless, and –“
“Aww, come ON! They aren’t my problem! Why do you and Dad keep pushing them off on me?”
After checking over her shoulder to make sure no one overheard my complaint, my mother pressed against my shoulder until she’d shoved me back inside my room, shutting the door behind her for privacy.
“One more day,” she hissed. “That’s it, Anthony. One more day.” I stared at her, seeing the fresh dousing of desperation in her eyes. “You have NO idea what it’s like knowing that your child is hundreds of miles away while all of this is going on,” she said just above a whisper. “One more day, and if all goes well, it could all be over.” She breathed unevenly, never breaking her stare.
I lowered my head and considered her plea. “Today’s Sam’s birthday; even if I wanted to, I can’t be here all day.”
“I’m not asking you to be.”
I met her gaze, waiting for her to explain.
“Just take them to the movies, the mall, to lunch…something. After that, bring them back and you’ll be free to go on about your day.” She touched my arm. “The less distracted your father and Mr. Tanaka are, the better this will go for everyone.”
Like my father, my mother knew how to appeal to me. Money, status, material possessions…none of that had ever moved me. All I wanted was a promise to have a normal life where Sam and I could be together and have a fair shot at our ‘happily ever after’. With that, I gave my mother a nod.
“Tell them to be ready in ten,” I said, turning to walk back toward my bed. Before exiting she smiled faintly and thanked me.