Page 114 of Succeeding Love

Preston

“-I’m heading to the store now…”

Despite the crappy start to our morning, with mom having to leave to take care of my asshole father, I smiled after hanging up with Vin.

I had my doubts for a second last night. Mom hadn’t cried like that in a long time, and she seemed so heartbroken when I helped get her to her room.

“Was that mom?” Jessie asked, coming into the living room from the kitchen. “Is she coming home yet?”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “No. That was Vin. He’s going to the store for mom and wanted to know what we wanted.”

“Pizza,” she mumbled. She sat on the couch and hugged a pillow in her lap. “I need pizza.”

“Nope.” I lifted my chin. “If I eat pizza again, I’m gonna hurl. That’s the one thing I told him to avoid.”

“That’s not fair,” Jessie pouted.

“Oh, it’s totally fair. That’s all you want to eat every freaking weekend.”

“Because it’s good,” she said meekly. “Mom and dad always got us pizza from that place when we went into the city.”

Ah. I get it now. I know Jessie understood mom was moving on, but she still clung to weird things sometimes. Mom and dad used to take us to that pizza parlor a lot. Dad was always weirdly eager to get that pizza, too.

“I’m sure whatever Vin gets will be good, too.”

Jessie shrugged. “I guess.” She played with the fringe on the pillow for a few seconds, ignoring Kevin who had cuddled up to her, then asked, “So, you didn’t hear from mom?”

I smiled softly. “Yeah. Mom’s taking dad back home now and then she’ll be back home.”

Jessie nodded with a weak smile, then sighed. She got up and headed back upstairs, probably to get ready. The second mom gets home, I know she’s going to ask to go to dad’s. I’m going to be the one that takes her when mom gets back. Mom’s not going back over there to deal with his crap. I think Vin needs some time alone with mom after yesterday, anyway.

I went to wait for Vin or mom in the kitchen. I was busy flipping through a magazine mom had left on the counter of dance shit for Jessie when the garage door opened, and in came mom.

She looked pissed. Not just irritated, but truly pissed more than I had ever seen before.

“Mom?”

She paced around the kitchen, rubbing her hands down her face. The way she was rubbing her eyes, I could tell she was trying to keep from crying. Not sad crying, but angry crying.

“Mom?! What happened?”

She shook her head, “Nothing. I just…” She sighed, looking with red-rimmed eyes out to the front room. Her eyes were on the window, staring past it.

I followed her line of sight and saw Miss Velma out on her lawn with a tall blonde woman. The woman was smiling and laughing with Vin’s mom.

The way mom was staring at her….

“Who is that?” I asked.

Mom’s lips thinned, her brows knitting together. “Mindy.”

I stood wondering what to do when mom sighed heavily again. She didn’t look as pissed. Just tired and sad.

“Mom!” Jessie yelled, coming down the stairs. “Mom! How’s dad?!”

I saw the struggle as my mom forcibly put a smile on her face.

“Good, sweetie. Your dad’s in bed resting. He’ll be fine. Grandma’s coming to stay with him, too.”

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