Page 65 of Coach's Son
“It was that wretched man, wasn’t it?” she asks.
“Oh Drew? Yeah let's not get into that.” I murmur, feeling my heart skip a beat.
“But honey, what happened to Charlie? Your golden knight…”
“Let’s just say that things got complicated… I made some stupid decisions. Of course I want him back. But I don’t think that he wants me back. And I can’t blame him. I fucked him over…” The tears start to flood down my cheeks as reality hits me. That Charlie is over my bullshit, my immature shenanigans.
“Oh baby. Don’t cry… everything is all right,” she whispers into my ear, soothing my creaking heart. “You can never give up… show him that you deserve another chance.”
“How can you say that? You and Dad gave up…” I stutter, wiping away the tears from my cheeks.
“Well honey, I think our marriage was dead in the water for quite a few years. It all made a lot more sense when I found out he’s notexactly into the female anatomy like I thought he was. I blamed myself for the distance that I felt grow between us. I thought it was all my fault that our marriage fell apart. That we failed you kids. That all three of you deserved better parents.” She sighs.
I look her dead in the eyes. “Mom you didn’t fail us. You loved us with everything you could. You can’t blame yourself for what you couldn’t fix.”
“I know, honey, but sometimes you can’t help but wonder if things could have turned out differently. Now I’m going to be attending my ex’s wedding to a man half his age.
“You are going tomorrow?” I ask, my mouth hanging open.
“Might as well, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she laughs. “Not too many of my friends can say they’ve been to their gay husband’s wedding.”
“Yeah, it might definitely be up there with unique experiences,” I jest, allowing myself to indulge in this moment of rare satisfaction. I hadn’t seen my mother in years since she retreated to the Northeast. I didn’t resent her for leaving—I applauded her. It was solely my father that carried the responsibility of her departure.
He could have said:Hey, I’m sorry. I’m not fantasizing about fucking the cheerleaders. Surprise! It’s actually the players you have to watch out for.
He should have had the balls to be frank with my mom, not send her in a deluge of paranoia and mid-life panic. But whatever, I digress. Now he gets to carry out his new life with his golden quarterback, while my mom lives in the remote northern New Hampshire woods where cell phone service isn’t a guarantee.
“How’s the writing going?” I ask, nearly forgetting that she has a life of her own.
“Oh you know, not too bad. When I’m not helping your grandparents with their own errands, I can usually knock out a few chapters every week. Your dad usually sends me a check every month, so it’s more of a passion project than out of necessity.”
“Well, I’m glad he does one thing right. You deserve every cent, Mom. You raised three incredible kids. I bet the girls are going to be thrilled to see you!”
“Hah. If they still remember what I look like. From the photos I’ve seen they’ve grown like weeds.” She smiles.
“They are both still addicted to their Switches,” I mutter. “There could be tornado sirens going off and they wouldn’t glance up from the couch.”
“Yeah… some things never change,” she laughs, taking a seat in the leather chair.
“You aren’t going to go visit dad today?” I ask, curious as she settles her bag on the hook protruding from the wall.
“Nope, I think I’d rather sit here with my son watching cheesy re-runs of the worst daytime dramas ever filmed,” she snickers, plopping her feet up and sinking into the leather.
“These were your favorite!” I tease.
“Please don’t remind me.” She says, as her eyes become one with the screen, lost in the melodramatic plot.
I smile, allowing myself to relax. Forgetting about the Evans twins for one day. Letting my body settle from fight or flight, entirely exhausted from being torn in two directions.
Wepulluptothe Lake Minnetonka House, almost entirely unrecognizable with the layers of wedding prep. White, pink, and scarlet red roses drape the driveway, their petals reflecting the striking October sun, the reflection enhancing their beautiful hues. Lanterns and lights occupy the green space, adding a formal, yet casual vibe to the atmosphere. A few yellow and red leaves are scattered across the lawn to match the bitter chill that loiters in the autumn breeze.
I have to admit—Martha did a wonderful job, not that I’ll say that to my father or Jackson’s delight.
They are lucky that I’m here at all, but I’m waiting until my father catches sight of mom. He might burst a forehead vein. It would be kind of awkward to be on a first name basis with the local paramedics, but I wouldn’t mind a good laugh or the distraction from my own drama.
Might teach him avaluablelife lesson.
“Wow your dad, really broke the bank with place didn’t he?” My mom asks, her eyes strikingly wide, taking in the size of the estate along with the views of the lake.
