She chuckled sadly, and so did Perry. His hand shook, the cigarette a mere blur as he tried to steady his nerves that were shot to hell. It was turning out to be the hardest week of his life, following his big brother’s orders to not engage with Mom, as he put it. No phone calls. No visits. No money. No nothing.
“Tell me the truth. Aiden told you to ignore me, didn’t he?” How could he respond to that? Wasn’t it bad enough that his actions proved the answer to be true? She gave an angry laugh then, the kind that might have a promise of revenge tied to the end of it. “Anyway, he earned that fuckin’ promotion, that’s for sure. That son of a bitch that’s threatening to blow the horn needs his fuckin’ ass beaten to a pulp.” He heard her inhale; she was definitely smoking. “Son of a bitch… Aiden is a stubborn piece of work, just like his mom.” They both laughed at that. “So, it’s no surprise to me that he decided to keep his trap shut and just see what happens. Might be a smart move… might be the dumbest thing he’s ever done.”
“This could’ve been avoided. He shouldn’t have gotten involved with that girl, if you ask me.”
“What do you mean he shouldn’t have gotten involved with that girl? Let me tell you something, Perry, while I’m still sober and it counts. Life is too damn short to live for other people, all right? As long as he is doing his job and doing it well, who cares who he is dating?!”
“But Mom, the clients are—”
“SO. DAMN. WHAT! So what, all right? He met ’er at work, she needed help. It’s not like he works with her. It’s not like he even broke any rules. It’s just frowned upon, as they say.” He could almost envision the woman rolling her eyes. “A lot of shit is frowned upon, like datin’ people of different races, or datin’ people that don’t have as much money as the next man.”
“Well, Aiden went for two out of three. Not only is she a client of his, she’s Black, too, he said. Not that that’s a big deal or anything, but it might just make it all the harder for him… buncha racists.”
“Yeah, it might, but just because something is harder doesn’t mean you don’t do it. I dated a Black guy before, a damn good lay, I tell ya that much.”
“Mom! Come on!”
The woman laughed. “Well, you get my point. I mean, shit, we gotta live our lives to the fullest and I’m not going to get my panties in a wad over my son finding someone he likes. I read an article once that office romances are common. Now sure, she’s not an employee, so that’s gotta count for something and it’s not like a doctor-patient situation. From what you told me, he seems happy, so that’s all I care about. And he ain’t hurtin’ nobody.”
They were quiet for a brief spell.
“Mom, I need to tell you something.”
“What, you’re dating a cashier?” She chuckled, and he had to smile at that.
“No… I have someone too, though. She’s a teller at a bank, actually. But, uh, she’s been wanting to meet you. I lied to you when you asked if I was settled with someone, because… I just… Well, it doesn’t matter, but she wants to meet you, Mom. Would be nice if she did, but I’d like you to be sober first and we both know that’s no guarantee. When you get off work, you drink, and you drink all night so unless she came to your job in the morning, making it happen would be out of the question. That doesn’t seem quite right, and it doesn’t seem fair, either.”
“Well, life isn’t fair, Perry. Matter of fact, it’s pretty damn shitty if you ask me.”
He swallowed down his anger at her response, but it came back up like a burp.
“You know what, Mom? Life may be shitty to you, but I want to enjoy mine, all right? I have never asked you for shit! The one time I ask you for something… I ask you to put the fuckin’ bottle down so you can meet my girl, I get this! Just fuck it!”
He ended the call, tossed his cigarette on the ground next to a forklift, and stomped it out before marching back into the grocery store.
Aiden was right. Nothing is going to change! She is who she is, and that isn’t much!
…Several days later
Coming out of a drunken stupor was different this time. Barbara looked around her hotel room, all of her shit folded in a few boxes, her furniture in storage. The place served a free continental breakfast, and she was up on her day off, happy that her boss hadn’t fired her and even seemed to have sympathy for her situation. As she lay there sobering up, she glanced at the half empty bottle of wine she’d scored from down the street. It had been brutally cold the previous night, but she’d walked the half mile to the convenience store since the liquor at the hotel was overpriced and the selections not to her liking. As her head throbbed and a strange sense of guilt settled within, she reflected on everything that had occurred since she was taken away in handcuffs in front of her children.
Her world had been turned upside down in more ways than one. Perry, her youngest son, was no longer speaking to her. Perry had never even raised his voice at her, to her recollection, let alone lost his cool during a conversation. When he’d hung up on her, it had left her stunned. As she’d packed up her belongings in her old apartment, she’d thought about calling him back but realized it was no use. He’d been poisoned against her and Aiden was the one dumping the venom down his throat. That enraged her. It was one thing for Aiden to turn his back on her, but another for him to take Perry with him. Shit had hit the fan and splattered all over the wall. She had legal troubles coming out of the ass, but Aiden had made good on his word and turned colder than a frozen fish in Alaska during a blizzard. Then, Perry, her reliable backup, bailed like he had jail bars for ribs. It was a lonely place to be… abandoned in every which way. She’d cried most of the night and early morning, feeling sorry for herself and for her boys, too.
“You both deserved better than me,” she murmured to herself. “I have good sons. Handsome, tall, hard workin’, and sensible. Perry is my softie; Aiden is the responsible one. Aiden is independent and thoughtful. He’s also at times tactless and unpredictable… but that’s usually when his emotions are runnin’ high. When I’m all over the place, he comes and simmers me down. It’s like I’m a volcano and he is rain.”
As she got up from the hotel bed, her knees cracked. She stretched, then went to freshen up and put on a change of clothing. After applying some makeup, she brushed her hair into a ponytail. She looked at the time; it was almost ten in the morning. Grabbing her cellphone, coat, and purse, she made her way down to the lobby and called an Uber. She had somebody important to see…