“Where is he?”
“Inside. I swear I didn’t call him, Mom.”
“I know, honey. It’s okay. Help Brendan unload the
car, will you, please?”
Brendan motioned toward the back of the car and
followed Mia inside. They found Ray sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup
of coffee. He didn’t look happy to see him walking in with Mia.
“What are you doing here, Ray?” Mia asked.
“I came to visit my son. I see you’ve still got
your boy toy around.”
Brendan let that one go. He’d been called much
worse and it never bothered him.
“You can’t keep showing up here. It’s confusing to
Jason.”
Ray rose to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving.”
He left without confrontation. Brendan followed him
outside, passing Jason with his arms full of bags. “Are you leaving?” he asked
his dad.
“Yep. Got what I came for. I’ll be in touch.”
What the hell? Ray had been nothing but
confrontational every time they saw him. Why the change? Not trusting the man, Brendan
escorted him off the property, not liking the fact Ray never parked in the
driveway, but on the side of the road.
Returning back inside, he joined Mia and Jason in
the kitchen, keeping his unease to himself.
“Why don’t you guys go make sure the grill works
while I prepare the steaks,” Mia suggested.
Jason glanced at him. “You know anything about
grills?”
Brendan grinned. “Man’s domain. Come on, I’ll teach
you everything you need to know about grilling meat.”
****
Mia watched the two disappear outside, an uneasy
feeling in her stomach. Jason really responded to Brendan and seemed to like
him. What if he got too attached? He was at an impressionable age. Brendan
would leave the same as Ray had. How would that affect her son?
How would it affect her?
Unwilling to think about it, she got to work mixing
her homemade seasoning blend. Then she mixed it with olive oil and coated the
steaks in a baking dish, setting them aside to marinate. She wrapped baked
potatoes in foil after sprinkling them with salt, pepper and seasoning salt.
She added a slice of onion to each packet and a few sprinkles of water, then
sealed them up tight. A trick she’d learned from her dad, who had made the best
baked potatoes in the world.
She went to work on the banana dessert, making the
shortbread/macadamia nut crust first. Try as she might she couldn’t get Ray out
of her head. He’d been too nice. Too accommodating. She wasn’t fool enough to
believe he’d come to terms with everything. That she’d moved on and wasn’t
giving up her dreams. The money should be safely in her account by now.
A smile touched her lips. Her inheritance. She’d
already done a little browsing for the perfect house. Last night when she
couldn’t sleep.
Not going there.
Maybe, just maybe, Ray had come to his senses and
wouldn’t bother them anymore. She knew better than to believe he wanted a
relationship with his son. In the ten years he’d been incarcerated he hadn’t
contacted Jason once, except for the past year when he started emailing him. As
much as it hurt to admit, she suspected he was using Jason as an excuse to get
what he wanted from her. He didn’t have any real interest in being a father or
getting to know his son. If he did he wouldn’t be threatening her.
Putting the crust in the oven to bake, she prepared
the pudding layer and sliced bananas. Then tossed together a salad.
Jason came in. “Have those steaks ready?”
She motioned toward the baking dish. “Yep, all set
to go. Grab those potatoes, too.”
“Do I smell banana?”
She smiled. “You do.”
Jason groaned. “Oh, man, you made your banana
dessert, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“I’m gonna miss your home-cooked meals when I go
off to college.” He picked up the dishes and carried them outside.
Off to college. Less than two years away, but felt
like tomorrow. Time moved much too fast for her liking. How did a mother come
to terms with her child leaving
“Inside. I swear I didn’t call him, Mom.”
“I know, honey. It’s okay. Help Brendan unload the
car, will you, please?”
Brendan motioned toward the back of the car and
followed Mia inside. They found Ray sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup
of coffee. He didn’t look happy to see him walking in with Mia.
“What are you doing here, Ray?” Mia asked.
“I came to visit my son. I see you’ve still got
your boy toy around.”
Brendan let that one go. He’d been called much
worse and it never bothered him.
“You can’t keep showing up here. It’s confusing to
Jason.”
Ray rose to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving.”
He left without confrontation. Brendan followed him
outside, passing Jason with his arms full of bags. “Are you leaving?” he asked
his dad.
“Yep. Got what I came for. I’ll be in touch.”
What the hell? Ray had been nothing but
confrontational every time they saw him. Why the change? Not trusting the man, Brendan
escorted him off the property, not liking the fact Ray never parked in the
driveway, but on the side of the road.
Returning back inside, he joined Mia and Jason in
the kitchen, keeping his unease to himself.
“Why don’t you guys go make sure the grill works
while I prepare the steaks,” Mia suggested.
Jason glanced at him. “You know anything about
grills?”
Brendan grinned. “Man’s domain. Come on, I’ll teach
you everything you need to know about grilling meat.”
****
Mia watched the two disappear outside, an uneasy
feeling in her stomach. Jason really responded to Brendan and seemed to like
him. What if he got too attached? He was at an impressionable age. Brendan
would leave the same as Ray had. How would that affect her son?
How would it affect her?
Unwilling to think about it, she got to work mixing
her homemade seasoning blend. Then she mixed it with olive oil and coated the
steaks in a baking dish, setting them aside to marinate. She wrapped baked
potatoes in foil after sprinkling them with salt, pepper and seasoning salt.
She added a slice of onion to each packet and a few sprinkles of water, then
sealed them up tight. A trick she’d learned from her dad, who had made the best
baked potatoes in the world.
She went to work on the banana dessert, making the
shortbread/macadamia nut crust first. Try as she might she couldn’t get Ray out
of her head. He’d been too nice. Too accommodating. She wasn’t fool enough to
believe he’d come to terms with everything. That she’d moved on and wasn’t
giving up her dreams. The money should be safely in her account by now.
A smile touched her lips. Her inheritance. She’d
already done a little browsing for the perfect house. Last night when she
couldn’t sleep.
Not going there.
Maybe, just maybe, Ray had come to his senses and
wouldn’t bother them anymore. She knew better than to believe he wanted a
relationship with his son. In the ten years he’d been incarcerated he hadn’t
contacted Jason once, except for the past year when he started emailing him. As
much as it hurt to admit, she suspected he was using Jason as an excuse to get
what he wanted from her. He didn’t have any real interest in being a father or
getting to know his son. If he did he wouldn’t be threatening her.
Putting the crust in the oven to bake, she prepared
the pudding layer and sliced bananas. Then tossed together a salad.
Jason came in. “Have those steaks ready?”
She motioned toward the baking dish. “Yep, all set
to go. Grab those potatoes, too.”
“Do I smell banana?”
She smiled. “You do.”
Jason groaned. “Oh, man, you made your banana
dessert, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“I’m gonna miss your home-cooked meals when I go
off to college.” He picked up the dishes and carried them outside.
Off to college. Less than two years away, but felt
like tomorrow. Time moved much too fast for her liking. How did a mother come
to terms with her child leaving
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