Page 138 of Collision
I sigh and enter the kitchen. “What’s up?”
“What do you think? Do you think I’ve forgotten about that little scene from this morning?”
If only…
“Do we have to talk about this right now?” I gripe, resting my backpack on the floor.
“Yes, we do.” She invites me to sit at the table, pointing at itwith the sauce-covered ladle in her hand. “Who in the hell was that lowlife?”
I let out another weary sigh, running my hand over my face. “His name is Thomas, he attends OSU, and he plays for the Beavers. Is that enough for you?”
She raises her eyebrows in warning. “Are you kidding me?”
“No. You asked me who he is and I’m telling you.”
She shakes her head, rests her ladle on the kitchen counter and brings a hand to her temple, as if trying to keep calm. “I knew that, sooner or later, this day would come.”
“What day are you talking about?”
“The day when you would allow a guy like that to come into your life. You are my daughter, after all, you come by that recklessness honestly. But it’s my fault. I’ve left you on your own for too long and now you’ve lost your way.”
My God, why does she always have to be so melodramatic?
“Mom, the only person who has lost her way here is you. You’re talking nonsense. You don’t even know him,” I blurt out. For the umpteenth time, I find myself defending Thomas even after he has ripped my heart to shreds. It’s as though some part of me can’t help but fight for him, like I can’t quite rid myself of this stupid blind faith in a boy as cynical as he is tormented.
“He’s rude, Vanessa, devoid of all good sense. No one has ever dared to speak to me like that before. He came into my house and disrespected me. How can you just accept that?” She sits across from me and stares me down.
I shrug nonchalantly. I know she’s partially right.
“Well, if we’re talking about disrespect, you did it too, Mom. You insulted him before you even knew his name. What did you expect him to do?”
“Are you justifying that kind of behavior, Vanessa?” she asks irritably. “My God, that boy is really changing you. Tell me, how long have you been seeing him?”
“That’s none of your business. What else did you want to tell me?”I gesture for her to continue with a wave of my hand.
“Well, I just wanted to make it clear that he will never set foot in my house again. Never again. Do we understand each other?”
“Whatever you want.” I can tell by the murderous look she gives me in response that she doesn’t at all appreciate my blasé approach to this conversation. But this time, I don’t care at all.
“One last thing,” she adds, “I want your word that you will stop seeing him.”
I laugh out loud and straighten up in my chair. “What?”
“I don’t know how long this has been going on, but I know for a fact that you’ve changed recently. And I’m sure that he’s responsible for it.”
“And you say this on the basis of what?”
“On the basis of you being my daughter and my knowing you. I worry about you. I only want the best for you, always.”
I snort. “You want the best for me?”
“Do you really think otherwise?” She presses her hand to her chest, as if I have stabbed her in the heart.
“I think that you love me but, most of the time, you just want me to be more like you.”
She blinks at me, astonished. “Don’t talk nonsense.” She gets up out of her chair with a jerk and goes to the stove, where she stirs the sauce aggressively.
“Nonsense? After I told you about my breakup with Travis, you didn’t talk to me for weeks. You defended him and condemned me. You blamed me for having the courage to end a relationship that was only hurting me, and do you know why? Because you never made the effort to look past the end of your own nose. If you had, you would have seen all the times he made me feel small and insignificant, when he shamed and humiliated me. As we speak, there’s a bruise on my left shoulder that I could have gladly done without. Do you know who gave it to me? Your dear, precious, irreproachable Travis. He got drunk last night and lost it. And do you know who defended me? Thomas.” I get up and join her at the stove. “Have you ever done that, Mom? Haveyou ever defended me?”
