“A penny for your thoughts.” I heard her voice, and I looked at her.
She was looking straight at me. For how long had she been looking at me? We were the only ones in the dining room. Portia seemed to be busy in the kitchen.
“Nothing, just something on my mind.”
“So, how’s the summer going so far?” she asked while eating.
My mind was completely absorbed in her and watching her movements, her lips, and her face.
“Yeah, it’s okay. I have been busy with my carpentry job, so I didn’t get to have time for myself, but thanks to James, last week was real fun.”
“Oh, I heard your mother got married recently. I saw them, they seemed animated,” she said as she looked at me.
My expression turned sore, as I replied, “Yeah, she must be. After all, he was a man she really wanted.”
Seeing my bitter, angry look, she said, “Lucas?”
“Yes, Ms. Anderson, it’s nothing. She said that she really liked the man and thought he was the best for her. So they married quickly. So quick that she didn’t even consider telling her son.”
My mother stopped calling and even texting too. I think she must be happy, now that I wasn’t in the way of her happy married life. Thinking about her, all kinds of feelings pop up in my head, and I tend to think too much when something like this hits me. Tears welled in my eyes.
I just bent my head down and clasped my hands on either side of the plate. Tears filled my eyes and fell onto the plate.
I don’t know why the fuck I was crying right then, but I couldn’t stop myself.
I heard her say, “Are you okay, Lucas?” And that was it. Biting my lip, I controlled myself, but it wouldn’t stop. All these fucking emotions. I hated myself for being sensitive.
I don’t know when she came towards me, but I felt her hand on my shoulder, and she said, “Lucas, what happened? Look at me, Lucas.”
“Lucas, look at me,” she said again. I looked at her, my eyes turned red, and the tears were gone.
She hugged me, my head placed against her abdomen. She patted me, saying it was okay. I hugged her, wrapping my hands around her. After a few minutes of staying like that, she moved down and kissed me.
Yes, she kissed me on the lips, and said, “Lucas, let’s move to the couch. I cramped my legs earlier because of you, so I can’t stand for long.”
Snapping out of my reverie, I quickly stood up and led her to the couch. It was all happening so fast that I couldn’t really tell what she was thinking. I even forgot about my mother and stared at her, wondering what she was thinking.
Caren knew my mother. She met her a few times, but they didn’t really get along, even though they grew up in the same neighborhood. After she got married, she moved to an estate on the east side of the city. Caren was now divorced and got a good amount of alimony. They were really loaded. My mother never really liked me being friends with James, but James and I had a similar mindset and got along really well in the middle years.
I helped her settle on the couch and said, “Let me massage your leg. It might help relieve some pain.”
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