Page 62 of When We Were More
I walk over to the stove and breathe in deeply through my nose. The cream cheese frosting on top is calling to me. I peek over my shoulder, and I’m alone. Surely, Mom won’t notice if I swipe a tiny bit off the edge of one and pre-taste. Right as my index finger is about an inch from the frosting, I sense her.
“Henry Aron, don’t you dare. Back away from those cinnamon rolls, or so help me, you will not get one today.”
I grin before I even turn around. But when I do, something strikes me. My mom looks happy. She’s not beenunhappyfor a long time now, but seeing her today, I see a difference. It becomes clear that, while she’s had some joy in life, she hasn’t had the level of happiness that’s radiating from her now. It reminds me of how she used to look when my dad was alive.
Before I get choked up, I pull her into a bear hug and stand there with her longer than usual. When we pull apart, I kiss her on her cheek and can’t help but smile. How this five-foot-four-inch-tall woman birthed five sons all well over six feet tall, I’ll never know. Dad was five feet eleven inches. Not short, but certainly not the height that his sons have.
“Merry Christmas, Mom.”
“Merry Christmas, honey.”
I take a deep breath and decide to throw her a line.
“The girls went in search of Keith’s kids, meaning the family will keep them entertained for a while. Do you want to talk now?”
She looks at me closely for a few seconds. Her eyes search my face. To be fair, I haven’t been overly supportive of Mom dating, so I’m not surprised that she’s looking for some indication of my emotional state before she commits.
“Sure, he’s waiting in the office.”
“Why only me today? We’ll all be here, why didn’t you wanna tell us all at once?”
My mom’s cheeks turn pink, and she tugs at her ear. She does that when she’s nervous or stressed.
“The twins and Heath met him last night. They came over for dinner. Harrison got here an hour ago and met him. You’re the last one.”
A part of me is irritated that I’m the last to find out who he is, not the first. But then I imagine Mom probably went in order of who she thought it might go smoothest with. I have to acknowledge that she’s not wrong. I’ve made my concerns clear to her.
Still, she’s beaming, and I don’t want to hurt her, so I’ll make an effort.
When we get to the door of the office, it’s closed. My mother turns to me with pleading in her eyes. “Please try, Henry. I’m aware this is hard for you, that you were really close to your dad. But I’m happy with a man that I trust and care about.”
“I’ll try.” I’m determined to give this person a chance. Because whether I like to admit it or not, he’s probably the reason she looks more joyful than she has in a long time.
But when she opens the door and we step into the room, I’m confused.
“I don’t understand.”
I looked back and forth between my mother and Leo. Leo, the man with whom my father worked his entire adult life. My dad’s single friend, who used to take us boys fishing.
“What’s going on here?”
Leo stands and steps forward. “Henry, your mom and I ran into each other again a few months ago. Then we started having coffee. Things just kinda happened.”
I glance at Mom. “Leo is who you’re dating?” She nods, clearly anxious, fiddling with the buttons on her blouse and tugging at her ear repeatedly.
“Yes. I hope you give him a chance.”
I turn my attention back to Leo, and we stand there, staring at each other for a long time. He finally breaks the silence.
“Can we talk for a couple of minutes, Henry? Without your mom?”
“Hey, why do I have to leave?” she complains.
“Lydia, I need to talk to Henry alone, please. Just for a few minutes.”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
When she exits, Leo takes a seat, and I sit across from him. Feelings of relief, anger, and grief wash over me.
