Page 67 of Right in Front of You

This time, Molly’s brows rose. Yeah, yeah, I hadn’t allowed her to do her job as often as she would have liked, but she must have been tired after work. Besides, I didn’t want her seeing that ugly part of my body. I wanted her to see it after it healed.

“I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me as a mother. At least I know that our son is in good hands. And if he gives you any trouble, just smack him over the head!”

My mother was joking of course. No one had ever done any smacking around our house. But I did notice Molly flinch at the comment.

“Thank you, Molly. For everything.” My father set the menu to the side and called for the waiter.

“Again, it’s no problem. Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the restroom.”

“Of course.”

Molly left and we skimmed through the menu. I felt my mother’s gaze on me without even looking up.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

“Well, since you asked... Tell me more about you and Molly. She’s such a lovely and smart young woman. It’s no wonder her mother talks about her so much.”

“That’s funny because Molly barely ever talks about her family.”

“I was at Doctor Burke’s office last week and I overheard them saying how proud they were of her. Can you believe that one of your friends is a doctor?”

Will be, in two weeks, I thought. And I could believe it because Molly was one of the smartest women I’d ever met. Actually, all the women that had been a part of my life were smart.

“Yeah, apparently she’s really good too, and is well respected.”

My mother leaned forward. “So?” she whispered, “Are you two a couple?”

There it was. The question of the night.

“No, we’re not.”

“Are you going to be?”

“I don’t know, Mom. Things are complicated. I’m still healing, and I’m grateful that I have a new chance at life and a good friend, but my recovery… it’s not easy.”

“You’re not worried about those scars you’ll have, are you?”

It didn’t surprise me that my mother knew me so well. My father lifted his shirt sleeve, exposing his arm and the wrinkled skin that formed one huge scar. “Son, I wear this with pride, and you should wears yours as well. Lives have been saved because of these marks.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have them on your face and all over your body.”

“Does it matter?”

“It does when you want a woman to look at you with respect, admiration, and love.”

“A woman who can’t see beyond the scars is not a woman you should be seeking love from. Does Molly have an issue with them?”

“No, she doesn’t. But I don’t want her looking at me like I’m a monster.”

“And has she?”

“No.”

My mother sighed and looked at me adoringly as if I were still a small boy and had so much to learn from life.

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