Nick's aunts made this stuff?"
"All of them. Most of it's left over from his homecoming party."
"I don't care what you say, looks like the two of you are an item again."
"Don't assume anything, Mom. So why did you drive all the way down here without calling first?"
"Would you have told me not to come?"
Good point. "So are you gonna keep me guessing for a while, or—"
"Okay." Her mother put down her fork and leaned back in her chair. "Things aren't good for me right now."
So what else is new? Paula lifted her eyebrows but didn't say a word.
"Mack wants me to get a job."
"What's wrong with getting a job?"
"I've worked so hard all my life I deserve some time to . . .relax." She smiled at Paula. "Working full-time and raising a kid without a husband isn't easy, ya know?"
Paula wasn't about to remind her that she wasn't exactly Mom-of-the-Year. That would start a whole new discussion— one she didn't want to face again.
"What about the car?" Paula asked. "That thing wasn't cheap."
Her mother drummed her fingernails on the table. "I think I deserve a nice car."
"Okay, so the only problem you're having is that Mack wants you to get a job, and you don't want to?"
Her mother shrugged. "I guess things aren't going so well in other areas either."
"So do you need money?" That would be easy to take care of. Money was one thing Paula had enough of and some to spare.
"I always need money. Mack is such a tightwad. If I'd known—"
"Stop. I don't want to hear this."
Let the drama begin. Paula had been the sounding board for her mother ever since they left Alabama after the divorce.
"You're right. I shouldn't air my laundry to my daughter. You have your own life, which you obviously don't want me to be a part of."
She continued her rant about how Paula had made a success of herself and didn't want anything to do with the one who made her what she was. All her intentions were self-centered and narrow.
This went on for a good ten minutes until finally Paula held up her hands. "Mom, do you realize you've just told me what a horrible daughter I am?"
She got a blank stare.
"And if I'm such a horrible daughter, why did you come here?"
Her mother closed her eyes and checked out the way she always did when she didn't want to answer questions or face something distasteful. Everything she accused Paula of was exactly how Paula felt about her.
After not getting an answer, Paula stood up. "Are you finished eating?"
"If I wasn't before, I am now. You're awfully hard on me, Paula. I don't know what I did to deserve this."
"Mom, you know I'll be here for you if you really need me. But I can't solve every problem."
"I never asked you to."
"But you're here for a reason." Paula held her mother's gaze until she got a nod of confirmation. "Tell me what you need."
"A thousand dollars."
Paula's ears rang. "That's a lot of money."
"I know, but that's what I need." Her mother shrugged and looked down at the table before leveling Paula with a pitiful look. "If you don't have it—"
"Do you really need the money, or do you want it for something?"
"Um . . . I sort of need it, or I might have to turn the car back in."
Now Paula understood. "Do you have to have all of it right away?"
Her mother frowned as she glanced away. "I guess I can take half now and the other half next week. I'm two months behind on the payment."
"Does Mack know this?"
Her mother looked down at her hands and shook her head. When she glanced back up at Paula, all color had drained from her face. "I spent the money he gave me for the car payment."
"What did you spend it on?"
"I don't think it's any of your business, but since I have to beg for money, I'll tell you. I'm having some personal problems, and I've been seeing someone."
"A man?" Paula shrieked.
"Stop that nonsense, Paula. Yes, a man, but he's a shrink."
At least she knew she needed help. "Will you still be here next week?" Paula asked.
"No, of course not. I have to get back home. Mack doesn't
"All of them. Most of it's left over from his homecoming party."
"I don't care what you say, looks like the two of you are an item again."
"Don't assume anything, Mom. So why did you drive all the way down here without calling first?"
"Would you have told me not to come?"
Good point. "So are you gonna keep me guessing for a while, or—"
"Okay." Her mother put down her fork and leaned back in her chair. "Things aren't good for me right now."
So what else is new? Paula lifted her eyebrows but didn't say a word.
"Mack wants me to get a job."
"What's wrong with getting a job?"
"I've worked so hard all my life I deserve some time to . . .relax." She smiled at Paula. "Working full-time and raising a kid without a husband isn't easy, ya know?"
Paula wasn't about to remind her that she wasn't exactly Mom-of-the-Year. That would start a whole new discussion— one she didn't want to face again.
"What about the car?" Paula asked. "That thing wasn't cheap."
Her mother drummed her fingernails on the table. "I think I deserve a nice car."
"Okay, so the only problem you're having is that Mack wants you to get a job, and you don't want to?"
Her mother shrugged. "I guess things aren't going so well in other areas either."
"So do you need money?" That would be easy to take care of. Money was one thing Paula had enough of and some to spare.
"I always need money. Mack is such a tightwad. If I'd known—"
"Stop. I don't want to hear this."
Let the drama begin. Paula had been the sounding board for her mother ever since they left Alabama after the divorce.
"You're right. I shouldn't air my laundry to my daughter. You have your own life, which you obviously don't want me to be a part of."
She continued her rant about how Paula had made a success of herself and didn't want anything to do with the one who made her what she was. All her intentions were self-centered and narrow.
This went on for a good ten minutes until finally Paula held up her hands. "Mom, do you realize you've just told me what a horrible daughter I am?"
She got a blank stare.
"And if I'm such a horrible daughter, why did you come here?"
Her mother closed her eyes and checked out the way she always did when she didn't want to answer questions or face something distasteful. Everything she accused Paula of was exactly how Paula felt about her.
After not getting an answer, Paula stood up. "Are you finished eating?"
"If I wasn't before, I am now. You're awfully hard on me, Paula. I don't know what I did to deserve this."
"Mom, you know I'll be here for you if you really need me. But I can't solve every problem."
"I never asked you to."
"But you're here for a reason." Paula held her mother's gaze until she got a nod of confirmation. "Tell me what you need."
"A thousand dollars."
Paula's ears rang. "That's a lot of money."
"I know, but that's what I need." Her mother shrugged and looked down at the table before leveling Paula with a pitiful look. "If you don't have it—"
"Do you really need the money, or do you want it for something?"
"Um . . . I sort of need it, or I might have to turn the car back in."
Now Paula understood. "Do you have to have all of it right away?"
Her mother frowned as she glanced away. "I guess I can take half now and the other half next week. I'm two months behind on the payment."
"Does Mack know this?"
Her mother looked down at her hands and shook her head. When she glanced back up at Paula, all color had drained from her face. "I spent the money he gave me for the car payment."
"What did you spend it on?"
"I don't think it's any of your business, but since I have to beg for money, I'll tell you. I'm having some personal problems, and I've been seeing someone."
"A man?" Paula shrieked.
"Stop that nonsense, Paula. Yes, a man, but he's a shrink."
At least she knew she needed help. "Will you still be here next week?" Paula asked.
"No, of course not. I have to get back home. Mack doesn't
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