Kaitlyn.
“She’s not always like this,” he defended his mom. She might not be easy to live with but she was the only one who hadn’t left him in his lifetime. To him that counted for a lot.
“It just seems lately that she’s worse. She’s all I’ve got and I love my mom; I just don’t know how to handle it when she gets like this.”
She always apologized at some point and he knew she meant it. He believed her when she said that she was doing the best she could; it couldn’t be easy to raise a kid alone.
“Would she accept help if it was offered?” Julia asked.
“I doubt it.”
“I think your cheek is going to bruise,” Kaitlyn told him as she brushed her fingers along his jaw line.
“Maybe,” he mumbled uncomfortably. He didn’t mind Kaitlyn’s touch, would welcome it under different circumstances, but he was fairly certain her mom didn’t approve of him and would approve even less if she knew what had happened in his bed room a few days earlier and how difficult he had found it to walk away.
“What do you do when she gets this way?” Julia asked with a small frown at her daughter.
“Sometimes I shut myself in my room. More often I leave and wait until she passes out before I come back.”
“Where do you go?” Kaitlyn asked.
“For a drive, a walk, the park…anywhere,” he shrugged.
“I know you aren’t a minor, Adam, but these streets still aren’t any place for you. You call us if you need us,” Julia instructed.
“Thank you, Mrs. Mayfield, but I feel bad enough for disturbing you guys tonight and always hanging around as it is.”
“You’re not disturbing us, Adam. I’ll go make up the spare bed,” Julia assured him as she left the room.
“How old are you, Adam?” Kaitlyn frowned at him.
“Nineteen as of last week.”
“Nineteen? I thought you were my age.”
“We moved a lot and I fell behind.”
He didn’t tell her how often he had considered quitting school but he had seen enough people struggle to make ends meet after quitting to know better than that.
“Oh.”
They fell silent until her mom came to announce she had the spare bed ready. Everyone filed off to bed ready for some sleep. The next morning they dropped Adam off at home. When their friends at school asked what had happened to his cheek, Adam fumbled for an answer and Katherine changed the subject.
***
The following Friday night, Katherine decided to take Adam out for a belated birthday dinner and tried calling. When her call was answered by a recording stating the phone had been disconnected, Katherine drove to his house and climbed from the car. She knocked on the door and waited; the sound of something hitting the floor inside reaching her, followed by Adam’s voice.
“I’ve got it, Mom; sit down before you hurt yourself.”
Adam pulled the door open and frowned at her.
“Who is it?” his mom stumbled to the door. The woman pushed her son aside and stepped onto the porch. She was slightly taller than Katherine with graying blonde hair and worry-worn brown eyes.
Katherine was shocked by her appearance. She had to be much younger than her own mother, but looked much older.
“Hi, Ms. Ellington, it’s nice to meet you,” Katherine smiled and extended her hand. His mom glared at her and made no move to take her offered hand.
“What do you want from my son?” she demanded; her words were slightly slurred.
Katherine didn’t flinch, “He’s my friend, Ms. Ellington.”
“I know your type, you always want something,” she flung at Katherine before turning on her son. “You stay away from her, son. We don’t need another one coming around claiming she’s gonna have your brat,” his mother shoved him backward. Adam’s jaw clenched but he did nothing to retaliate or defend himself.
“You owe Kaitlyn an apology; she’s not that kind of girl,” he countered.
“Neither was I, Adam,” she laughed bitterly.
“Mom, I think you should go inside.”
“Don’t tell
“She’s not always like this,” he defended his mom. She might not be easy to live with but she was the only one who hadn’t left him in his lifetime. To him that counted for a lot.
“It just seems lately that she’s worse. She’s all I’ve got and I love my mom; I just don’t know how to handle it when she gets like this.”
She always apologized at some point and he knew she meant it. He believed her when she said that she was doing the best she could; it couldn’t be easy to raise a kid alone.
“Would she accept help if it was offered?” Julia asked.
“I doubt it.”
“I think your cheek is going to bruise,” Kaitlyn told him as she brushed her fingers along his jaw line.
“Maybe,” he mumbled uncomfortably. He didn’t mind Kaitlyn’s touch, would welcome it under different circumstances, but he was fairly certain her mom didn’t approve of him and would approve even less if she knew what had happened in his bed room a few days earlier and how difficult he had found it to walk away.
“What do you do when she gets this way?” Julia asked with a small frown at her daughter.
“Sometimes I shut myself in my room. More often I leave and wait until she passes out before I come back.”
“Where do you go?” Kaitlyn asked.
“For a drive, a walk, the park…anywhere,” he shrugged.
“I know you aren’t a minor, Adam, but these streets still aren’t any place for you. You call us if you need us,” Julia instructed.
“Thank you, Mrs. Mayfield, but I feel bad enough for disturbing you guys tonight and always hanging around as it is.”
“You’re not disturbing us, Adam. I’ll go make up the spare bed,” Julia assured him as she left the room.
“How old are you, Adam?” Kaitlyn frowned at him.
“Nineteen as of last week.”
“Nineteen? I thought you were my age.”
“We moved a lot and I fell behind.”
He didn’t tell her how often he had considered quitting school but he had seen enough people struggle to make ends meet after quitting to know better than that.
“Oh.”
They fell silent until her mom came to announce she had the spare bed ready. Everyone filed off to bed ready for some sleep. The next morning they dropped Adam off at home. When their friends at school asked what had happened to his cheek, Adam fumbled for an answer and Katherine changed the subject.
***
The following Friday night, Katherine decided to take Adam out for a belated birthday dinner and tried calling. When her call was answered by a recording stating the phone had been disconnected, Katherine drove to his house and climbed from the car. She knocked on the door and waited; the sound of something hitting the floor inside reaching her, followed by Adam’s voice.
“I’ve got it, Mom; sit down before you hurt yourself.”
Adam pulled the door open and frowned at her.
“Who is it?” his mom stumbled to the door. The woman pushed her son aside and stepped onto the porch. She was slightly taller than Katherine with graying blonde hair and worry-worn brown eyes.
Katherine was shocked by her appearance. She had to be much younger than her own mother, but looked much older.
“Hi, Ms. Ellington, it’s nice to meet you,” Katherine smiled and extended her hand. His mom glared at her and made no move to take her offered hand.
“What do you want from my son?” she demanded; her words were slightly slurred.
Katherine didn’t flinch, “He’s my friend, Ms. Ellington.”
“I know your type, you always want something,” she flung at Katherine before turning on her son. “You stay away from her, son. We don’t need another one coming around claiming she’s gonna have your brat,” his mother shoved him backward. Adam’s jaw clenched but he did nothing to retaliate or defend himself.
“You owe Kaitlyn an apology; she’s not that kind of girl,” he countered.
“Neither was I, Adam,” she laughed bitterly.
“Mom, I think you should go inside.”
“Don’t tell
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