Page 87 of Corkscrew You
“Glorious,” she says.
Her face is lit with a radiant happiness, and it suddenly occurs to me that I never saw that look much while we were growing up.
“Mom, did you stay with Dad because of us kids?”
Now, she looks stunned. Fair enough. I threwthatone at her without warning.
“Is that what you all think?” she says.
“Not at all,” I reply. “But it worries me that you might not have … enjoyed living here.”
“Oh, Shel.” Her face softens again. “Ilovedyour dad more than any man on Earth. Yes, at times, I found it hard. The lack of money, the hours he put in, the hours he made youkidsput in…”
She glances up at the photo of us all on the shelf, and her expression is pure affection.
“But he was so special, and we loved each other so much, that there wasnoplace I’d have rather been.”
She turns to me, with a wry smile.
“Now, that doesn’t mean we didn’t have our rough moments,” she adds. “No relationship iseverall sunshine and rainbows, even when one half of the couple isme.”
Mom has always owned her quirks, bless her.
“Did you ever have any moments when you thought it was over?”
I hope she doesn’t want to know why I’m asking.
“Oh, yes,” she says, with a brief laugh. “About once a month, as I recall.”
“Really?”
They hid it well. I remember a few cross words, but never any major arguments.
“Deep down, we always knew we were both being foolish,” she says. “We knew our connection was too strong for us to break.”
I feel the sudden prick of tears. The happy-sad kind. I’m happy Mom and Dad loved each other that much, and I’m so sad she’s without him now. I’m happy she’s OK, though, and making a new, fulfilling life for herself.
But I’m sad thatI’mnot going to be able to do the same. If it were up to me, Nate and I would be back together already, at least in an on-hold way. Nate’s so determined though, and he has an absolute right to be angry with me –hedidn’t say terrible things. Our connection is so new that it hasn’t had time to get strong yet. So if Nate refuses to yield to the pullIfeel, then I don’t see any hope for us.
Mom had to deal with Dad’s death. We all did, of course, but he was her soulmate, and his loss must have been crushing.
If she can get through that kind of loss with grace and humour, then I can handle my own situation.
And I’m sure it will help if I have another slice of shortcake.
ChapterThirty
NATE
Wow. Shelby’s mom. What a stunner.
And what a seriously uncomfortable way to be introduced. With Shelby right there, draining my strength like a piece of Kryptonite.
When we accidentally brushed past each other, Ialmostgrabbed her. The desire to inhale her scent, and kiss her neck and mouth and wherever else, practically did me in. I had to lean against the office door after I’d closed it and do a little speed meditating to calm down. The kind I used to do on the start line of a race.
Trouble is, my technique sucks because you still need a bunch of adrenaline pumping through you to race your best. Perhaps I should ask Shelby’s mom for tips on how to achieve a total state of calm? She looks like a woman who knows how to align chakras.
She looks like Shelby, goddamn it. Or like Shelby will in thirty years’ time.
