Page 47 of The Moon Also Rises
Inwardly, I groan. I don’t know what else I can tell her that I haven’t already on previous Sundays, but I suppose I’ll just repeat myself so I don’t give her a reason to worry.
“It’s fine. Planning for the arts festival in Belfast next month is going well and I’m up in Northumberland for the next few days getting a venue ready for a food festival next weekend. And I’m getting to know people a bit better, slowly.”
“And your office?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll have that any time soon. They found some asbestos in the walls, apparently.”
“That’s a shame. And how is Jake?”
My eyes bolt open hearing her ask that. “He’s… fine. Why?”
“Are you getting on a bit better with him? I should hope so now you did him a great favour by going to the wedding with him.”
“We had fun together.” I bring my cup up to my lips to hide my grin.
“Good. You deserve that.”
I don’t really, but I am not going to challenge her.
“While it’s just you and me here, I was wondering…” Mama begins and I hold my breath. “Did you reach out to Dev yet?”
My shoulders sink and my cup suddenly feels a lot heavier than it did a second ago.
“He doesn’t want to hear from me,” I say.
“Says who?” Mom turns and her light eyes burn a little brighter as they fix on me. I never really understand why people say nice things about my eyes until I am staring in my mother’s with their same cloudy-grey silver that seems to sparkle whenever she’s agitated or excited.
“Dev knows I’ve been back for nearly two years and he hasn’t gotten in touch,” I explain with a shrug. “If he wanted to hear from me, he would have tried already.”
“That’s not fair. He has three kids now, Rami. Children you don’t know. You’re Jaden’s godfather and you’ve not seen him since the Christening.”
“He doesn’t need a godfather. He must be what… ten now?”
“Exactly!”
I pull in a breath and hold it. “Mama, I don’t want to argue with you. But I think you have to accept that that ship has sailed. We live very different lives. I’m in London now and he’s—”
She points her spoon in the direction of our front door. “He’s here. He lives three streets away. You could go right now and knock on his door and—”
“Mama,” I say and I hear the edge in my voice.
I’m not sure if her timing is deliberate but Roxie appears at the door and coughs loudly, breaking some of the tension in the kitchen.
“Guys, you’re not allowed to argue. Not without Radia. She hates missing out on arguments.”
Mom waves her hand at us and turns back to the stove. “We weren’t arguing. Just having a heated discussion.”
My chest rises hearing those words. It’s what Baba used to say if one of us walked in on him and Mom having a fight. Not that it was ever a real fight. In fact, it really was always just a heated discussion. They loved each other too much to fight.
“Ready to die, death after death after death?” Roxie raises both of her eyebrows at me, one of which is pierced. Sometimes I forget how old she really is, or maybe I do it on purpose so I don’t have to remind myself how much I’ve missed.
“Nobody dies in Mario Kart,” I say before downing the last of my coffee and pushing off the kitchen counter. I pause before I leave the room. “You don’t need any help, Mama?”
Mom turns around then and I see a haze in her eyes and that makes something heavy sink lower in my stomach.
“No, thank you.”
“Come on you.” I nod at Roxie. “I have a championship to defend.”
