still to my ear.
"I wish I knew. Sid, I'll call you back."
"No way, sister. Put me on speaker!"
"Well, what is it?" I look between the both of them expectantly.
Kel nudges Luke and he drops his head.
"Remember when we went to the carnival fundraiser?" He peeks from under his lashes. I nod. Clearing his throat, he continues, "And how they had those booths to record yourself singing?"
"You didn't," I gasp.
His head pops up, determination on his face.
"Mom, you are sooooooo good! All my friends thought so, too, when they heard you sing at the carnival. You deserve to be famous, to be a star."
"Holy shit, did he do what I think he did?" Sid whispers through the phone.
"Yes, he did." I take a deep breath and exhale.
"YES!" Sid's scream makes me pull the phone from my ear. "I love that boy, I tell you! He is just like me. I might cry." She fakes a sniff.
"Sid, I'll call you back." Before she can protest again, I end the call. Turning my attention to Kel, I ask, "You knew?"
He gives a nod. "He needed help filling out the forms."
I shove the phone into my back pocket. "Back to the table and finish dinner."
I ignore the vibration from my phone; Sid apparently trying to call me back.
My words are weak. I'm still attempting to process what my son and brother have done. It's not a bad thing. He did it with all the best intentions possible, but he also illegally forged my application.
Neither of them argues with me. We sit silently, none of us touching our food.
"Luke…"
"I know I shouldn't have filled the application out without telling you. But, Mom…" he pauses, and I focus on his face, "you deserve better than working all night at that club."
My heart aches. Lucas isn’t stupid and I don’t hide my job from him, but I've never provided details either. However, by the time he was old enough to visit friend’s houses, he was also old enough to overhear parental gossip. I knew there had been gossip about me when the news spread around. It was never a big issue, nor did anyone approach me about it—mostly because no one wanted to admit how they knew I worked at the club.
"I'm sorry I…I do what I do. I know it can be embarrassing for a boy—”
"You think I'm embarrassed by you?" he cuts me off with a hard worded question, matching the scowl on his boyish face.
"I'm sure it can be—"
"You’re totally not understanding me," he cut me off, again. "I'm not embarrassed. I'm proud you are my mom. Look at Sean, Mom. His mother runs off with all the money and lets him go without food or clothes. I've never lived like that, and it's because of you."
Unexpected tears fall from my eyes.
"I didn't mean to make you cry." Luke drops his head.
"I don't think she's sad, buddy." Kel wraps an arm around his shoulders.
"No, I'm not sad." I wipe the wet streaks from my cheeks. "I love you, Lucas, and you just made your mother cry happy mommy tears."
He smiles. "Then you won’t be mad about the papers?"
His hopeful expression tugs at my heart.
"You know that forging information is not something you should do, right?"
He nods. "Yes. I just knew you wouldn't do it. I had to do it."
"Finish your dinner before it gets cold." I start reading over the papers again.
"So, you'll do it?" Kel asks.
I look up from the papers. "After I read through this and see what's involved."
By the time we finish eating, we’re having a new debate.
"But Aunt Char would stay with us!" Luke argues as I slip on my jacket to leave for the club.
"Your great-aunt doesn't need to fly across the country to take care of my responsibilities. She's done enough for us."
"What about Sid? She'd come, too." Luke tries another tactic.
"She was just here for a week. I'm not going to ask her to take time out of her life to spend weeks here with you two so I can go lose a reality show." Sliding my bag strap over my head and into place on my shoulder, I palm both sides of Luke's face and plant a big kiss on his forehead. "Don't give Uncle Kel a
"I wish I knew. Sid, I'll call you back."
"No way, sister. Put me on speaker!"
"Well, what is it?" I look between the both of them expectantly.
Kel nudges Luke and he drops his head.
"Remember when we went to the carnival fundraiser?" He peeks from under his lashes. I nod. Clearing his throat, he continues, "And how they had those booths to record yourself singing?"
"You didn't," I gasp.
His head pops up, determination on his face.
"Mom, you are sooooooo good! All my friends thought so, too, when they heard you sing at the carnival. You deserve to be famous, to be a star."
"Holy shit, did he do what I think he did?" Sid whispers through the phone.
"Yes, he did." I take a deep breath and exhale.
"YES!" Sid's scream makes me pull the phone from my ear. "I love that boy, I tell you! He is just like me. I might cry." She fakes a sniff.
"Sid, I'll call you back." Before she can protest again, I end the call. Turning my attention to Kel, I ask, "You knew?"
He gives a nod. "He needed help filling out the forms."
I shove the phone into my back pocket. "Back to the table and finish dinner."
I ignore the vibration from my phone; Sid apparently trying to call me back.
My words are weak. I'm still attempting to process what my son and brother have done. It's not a bad thing. He did it with all the best intentions possible, but he also illegally forged my application.
Neither of them argues with me. We sit silently, none of us touching our food.
"Luke…"
"I know I shouldn't have filled the application out without telling you. But, Mom…" he pauses, and I focus on his face, "you deserve better than working all night at that club."
My heart aches. Lucas isn’t stupid and I don’t hide my job from him, but I've never provided details either. However, by the time he was old enough to visit friend’s houses, he was also old enough to overhear parental gossip. I knew there had been gossip about me when the news spread around. It was never a big issue, nor did anyone approach me about it—mostly because no one wanted to admit how they knew I worked at the club.
"I'm sorry I…I do what I do. I know it can be embarrassing for a boy—”
"You think I'm embarrassed by you?" he cuts me off with a hard worded question, matching the scowl on his boyish face.
"I'm sure it can be—"
"You’re totally not understanding me," he cut me off, again. "I'm not embarrassed. I'm proud you are my mom. Look at Sean, Mom. His mother runs off with all the money and lets him go without food or clothes. I've never lived like that, and it's because of you."
Unexpected tears fall from my eyes.
"I didn't mean to make you cry." Luke drops his head.
"I don't think she's sad, buddy." Kel wraps an arm around his shoulders.
"No, I'm not sad." I wipe the wet streaks from my cheeks. "I love you, Lucas, and you just made your mother cry happy mommy tears."
He smiles. "Then you won’t be mad about the papers?"
His hopeful expression tugs at my heart.
"You know that forging information is not something you should do, right?"
He nods. "Yes. I just knew you wouldn't do it. I had to do it."
"Finish your dinner before it gets cold." I start reading over the papers again.
"So, you'll do it?" Kel asks.
I look up from the papers. "After I read through this and see what's involved."
By the time we finish eating, we’re having a new debate.
"But Aunt Char would stay with us!" Luke argues as I slip on my jacket to leave for the club.
"Your great-aunt doesn't need to fly across the country to take care of my responsibilities. She's done enough for us."
"What about Sid? She'd come, too." Luke tries another tactic.
"She was just here for a week. I'm not going to ask her to take time out of her life to spend weeks here with you two so I can go lose a reality show." Sliding my bag strap over my head and into place on my shoulder, I palm both sides of Luke's face and plant a big kiss on his forehead. "Don't give Uncle Kel a
Similar Books
