Page 4 of Reading Between the Lines
Anything.
2
Tallus
(Then)
“More… More… More! Good grief, Mom. I’m a growing boy. Heap it in. Don’t be shy.” I removed the ladle from her grasp and added an overfull scoop of leftover beef stew to the Tupperware container.
“You’re a glutton.”
“No, I’m poor. There’s a difference. This will feed me for days.”
“You could cool it with the endless shopping sprees, and you’d have more money for groceries.”
“I could, but why do that when my beautiful, loving mother provides me with delicious, nourishing food every week?”
“You’re impossible.”
“Impossibly handsome and lovable.”
“Not what I was going for.” She hip-checked me as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. Her smile negated any admonishments. She loved feeding me, even if she gave me a hard time.
I hip-checked her back. “Can I have the rest of the biscuits too?”
“Good grief. You don’t need them all. What if Heath wants some for his lunch tomorrow? Contrary to what you think, I don’t cook solely for you anymore.”
“Lies.”
A deep voice from the living room called, “Heath’s fine and can make himself a bologna sandwich. Let the boy take what he wants.”
“Ha!” I playfully stuck out my tongue, and my mother made a grab for it, missing when I ducked out of the way.
“One of these days, child, I’m going to cut that sassy thing right out of your mouth.”
I tossed a hammed-up grin over my shoulder as I snapped the lid closed on the container. “Admit it. You love me.”
“It’s a wonder.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “So…”
“Uh-oh.”
“When do I get to meet this new man of yours?”
“Iknewthat was coming.” Retrieving a ziplock bag from a drawer, I considered. “How about we give Diem a month or six to settle into the idea of beingina relationship before we introduce him to the ’rents and scare him off for good?”
“Since when do I frighten away your dates? Better question, since when do you date? According to Memphis, you’re a self-proclaimed manwhore.”
“Mom! Oh my god. Never say manwhore. Ever. And why are you talking to Memphis?”
She laughed. “Was he wrong?”
“That is not up for discussion.” My best friend was going to die when I saw him next. I piled biscuits into the bag. “The point is, Diem is… different. It took a helluva lot of stamina to convincehim to ask me out. You have no idea, Mom. It was a battle of epic proportions. I almost lost, and I never lose.”
“I don’t believe that. You’re charming.”
“Oh, Diem knows. I layered on the charm extra thick, but it still took Herculean effort. Here’s the thing, Diem’s a combination of a stubborn mule, a nervous bunny, and a rabid bear.”
Mom’s face contorted in confusion.
