Page 18 of The One I Love
I laugh under my breath as I head into my kitchen, where Mom is currently putting one of the casseroles in my refrigerator. I’m guessing the other is already in the oven. “I know it’s been a while.”
“Six days, Shane. Six. Days. Why do I have to go a week without talking to my firstborn?”
“It’s not a week, Ma. It’s six days.”
“Mom Math, Shane. We round up when it’s regarding how long it’s been since we’ve talked to our children. Just wait until I finally get a hold of your brother. He’s in the doghouse worse than you.”
I laugh and make a mental note to text Noah a warning, though I doubt he’ll see it. Last I knew he was living in South Carolina, running a chair rental business and learning to surf. But that was eight months ago so who knows where he is, or what he’s doing, now.
“I’m sorry, it’s just been a crazy week,” I say, giving her a kiss on the cheek as I go to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
“Must have been. I didn’t even get a recap of the wedding.”
“Because you were there. I didn’t think it warranted a recap.”
“It’s like you don’t know me at all,” she says dramatically.
“And it’s like you don’t know me.”
My mom and I couldn’t be any more different. She’s the life of the party. Always has to know what’s going on and has never met a stranger. That she and my dad got married is a total mystery. I take after him. Stoic. Not a talker. I believe I heard him grunt more than anything while I was growing up. Butwhen it came to my mom? The man was in love. She’s the only one to whom he showed his softer side.
I can relate.
“Well, you’re going to humor me and tell me everything that happened while I was there and after I left.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my son, I can still whoop your behind, and I made you a casserole that’s currently warming in the oven.”
“Fine,” I groan. “What do you want to know?”
I see the not-so-subtle mischievous smile forming on her face. That’s her ‘I want to set you up with a girl’ face. “Did you meet anyone? Dance with anyone after I left?”
Yup. The smirk gave it away. “No, Mom. I didn’t meet anyone. And you know I don’t dance.”
And just like that, her smile disappears. “Really, Shane? You were at a wedding with three hundred people, and you couldn’t findoneperson to dance with?”
“Well that’s not exactly true,” I say. “I danced with Oliver. He made me do some dumb line dance.”
“Oliver doesn’t count and you know it.” The angrier she gets, the more I have to hold in my laugh. “I just…I saw so many women without dates. Notoneinterested you?”
Amelia jumps into my mind, and I make a conscious effort to keep my face neutral. There are two people in the world who can read me—one is sitting across the table from me, and the other is the reason I’m in this mind fuck.
“No Mom. No one interested me.”
The lie tastes like shit as I say it, but I can’t tell her the truth. I’m pretty sure if she found out what happened between Amelia and I, she’d have a heart attack. Or do a cartwheel. Maybe both. Itwouldbe all over town by the time bingo concluded tonight.
My mom loves Amelia like the daughter she never had. She and Amelia’s mom, Tammy, have been best friends since high school, and I know they’ve plotted ways to possibly set us up. It started when we were kids and has never let up. None of their schemes have ever come to fruition, though one time I did hear them say something about locking us in a room and just seeing what would happen.
“Oh Shane,” Mom says sadly, putting her hand on top of mine. “I just want you to be happy.”
I cover her hand with my free one. “I know, Mom. I know you do.”
My poor mother. All she wants in life is to be a grandma. Unfortunately, she gave birth to a son who has never had a permanent address for more than a year and another who has never had a serious relationship. At this point, I’m pretty sure if I told her I got a woman pregnant she wouldn’t even be mad, as long as her future grandchildren call her Gigi.
“One day,” she begins. “One day I’m going to come over and you’re going to have a smile so big on your face that you can’t hide it, and I’m going to know. I’m going to know immediately that you’ve found your soulmate.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
