Page 59 of Paging Dr. Breakup
“We’re tough, right, Aggie?”
“Some of us more than others,” she said dryly.
“I’m not going to be around to help, you know,” Cal said.
“We do have other friends,” Mom said.
“I know, but…”
She interrupted. “You could always move here if you’re so worried.”
“I’m not worried. I’m being practical.” He studied the lines on both his parents’ faces. “What about that speculator nosing around? Out here, you’re not as safe.”
Mom replied, “We haven’t had any more visitors since we told that survey person to leave.”
That situation could change. He gripped his fork and kept his mouth shut.
“We’ve never been scared here before. Why start now?” Pop said. “Those people are worse than roadkill. To hell with them.”
Mom added, “We both are good shots, if it comes to that.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Cal said.
She dabbed her lips with a paper napkin. “We appreciate you helping out your dad after his heart trouble. But we don’t want to uproot ourselves. Despite what you might think, your father and I are adults who can make measured decisions.”
Cal ground his molars together. They’d missed the entire point. “But—”
“I’m getting the custard.” Pop pushed back from the table and returned with the serving dish.
Mom absently waved a hand at him, then focused on Cal. “What about your future? What do you want, now that you finished medical school and residency? You’re multiple years into practice. Do you want to continue in that direction? What are your goals?”
“It’s like I’m talking with a high school guidance counselor.”
Pop snorted as he placed the dish in front of Mom. “She needs to aim those skills at someone. Her counseling doesn’t work on me.”
“You sure about that?” The glare she gave him took his expression from beetle-brow confrontational to innocently contrite in mere seconds.
“Hmm,” Pop said.
“So?” Mom asked Cal, spooning up burned custard.
The caramelized sugar called to him as he took the bowl she offered him. “Hadn’t given it that much thought.” Actually, he had, and that was a big problem.
His brain was crammed full of what-ifs. He’d envisioned every scenario possible, from totally cutting ties with her to going all-in on Team Cal and Deirdre. He wanted to believe that with great risk came great reward, but in this matter, the possibility of failure was way too high.
“Mm-hmm.” Like she didn’t believe him. “You and Deirdre Steen seem cozy. She could do worse than our son, you know.”
Cal laughed. Uncomfortably. “She and I are two old friends hanging out.”
In her bed. Naked.
“Your mother and I started off as schoolmate friends, you know.”
Cal said, “I know.”
Pop waggled an eyebrow and winked. “I was a varsity basketball player in high school. Very popular. Aggie got quite the catch.” His eyes glinted. “Out of the bed and in it.”
No. Nope. Mom and Pop werenotreminiscing about sexual history in the same room as Cal. Lines needed to be drawn.
