Page 18 of Things We Left Behind
For my mom.
For me.
There would be a Dad-shaped hole in every event from now on.
I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I’m sure my mom is still planning to go. She loves graduations and weddings and baby showers. Anything with a party really.”
“My mom was like that too,” he said with a sad smile. “Someday I’m gonna throw her a huge surprise party for everything she did for me.”
He talked about his mother in an interesting mix of past and present tense that made me curious. “Is your mom still…around?”
He looked down at his coffee. “She’s in prison.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s my fault. But I’m gonna make it right.”
“I’m sure she’s really proud of you,” I said.
His smile was stronger now. “She is. She really is.”
I knew firsthand how good that parental pride felt and felt another pang.
Allen glanced at his watch and grimaced. “I should be getting back. I have another exam tomorrow morning.”
“Are you sure? The snow looks like it’s really starting to come down.”
“The highways are clear and I’ve got four-wheel drive,” he assured me.
I walked him to the door. “It was really nice to meet you, Allen.”
“You too, Sloane.”
I waved Allen off and had just enough time to clean up the coffee mugs and start crying before the doorbell rang again. It was still echoing throughout the house when a barrage of fists banged cheerfully against the wood.
“Seriously? Can’t a girl have an emotional breakdown in some peace and quiet?” I muttered into a soggy tissue.
“Let us in before we freeze our asses off,” Lina yelled through the front door.
“We brought hugs and tequila,” Naomi called.
“Naomi brought hugs. I brought tequila,” Lina corrected.
“Shit,” I murmured under my breath before sticking my head under the faucet in the kitchen and washing away all signs of my crying jags.
They entered the house like two beautiful, energetic whirlwinds toting grocery bags and pitying looks. Lina looked glamorous in a royal-blue parka and fur-trimmed boots. Naomi was pretty in a pink puffy jacket and earmuffs.
“Why are you here?” I asked as they shed their winter layers.
“Lucian tattled and said you were spending the eveningalone instead of at your sister’s,” Naomi announced cheerfully, her perky ponytail bouncing.
“That interfering son of a bitch.”
“Don’t worry. Naomi retaliated by unleashing the Morgan boys on him to ruin his solitude,” Lina assured me.
“I didn’truinhis solitude. I made sure that he had the emotional support he might need,” Naomi corrected.
“You have to have emotions to require emotional support,” I pointed out.
