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“Where? Who do you think is going to hire a fifteen-year-old kid who cannot make it through high school without being expelled?” Reese let the money part go. It had already been a craptastic day. She didn’t have it in her to discuss money or the lack thereof with Mav.
“Get off my back, Mom.” He couldn’t meet her eyes because he knew she was right. Looking down, he kicked a stone across the sidewalk as he stomped on, never doubting she was beside him.
“Was it the same kid as last time?” Reese asked quietly. Mav just kept walking, staring at his beat-up sneakers. “What did Brecken say this time?”
“Just the usual,” he sighed, knowing his mother wouldn’t give up until he told her what she wanted to know. “I am a dirt-poor worthless idiot.”
“What else? I know what he usually says, and I know how much it bothers you. As much as I would love to wave my magic fairy wand and change our situation, life doesn’t work that way.”
“Yeah, Dad running off with what’s her name fucked us pretty good.”
“Language,” Reese scolded again half-heartedly.
What he said was true, but she tried to get him to let go of his anger. She knew it was easier said than done. After seven years, there were still times Reese thought about how nice it would be to run the man down with her car if she could get it to run long enough to find him. The fact that he cleaned them out when he left with the model was something she didn’t want to talk about today either. Today was for dealing with today’s issues.
“Baby, you broke Brecken’s nose and blackened both his eyes. The fight had to be about more than the usual crap.”
“It was nothing, Mom. He was running his mouth like he is god’s gift to everything.”
“Mav,” Reese stopped halting her son’s progress as well. “We don’t lie to each other,” she reminded him of the promise they made after his father left them.
“He said some shit about you, and I lost it,” Mav whispered.
“What did he say?”
“I ain’t repeating it. Brecken is lucky a teacher pulled me off him before I knocked out a few of his over-whitened teeth too.”
“You aren’t repeating it,” her automatic mom response came before she thought it through. Reese pulled her son into a hug in the middle of the sidewalk. “I am sorry he upset you, kiddo. The world is filled with people like him, but you cannot go around beating all of them up.”
Reese was surprised Mav let her hug him in public. She knew it wasn’t cool to hug your mom in the middle of the sidewalk at his age, but she knew he needed it every bit as much as she did.
“Did you have to leave work?” Mav asked, releasing her.
They started walking down the sidewalk before she answered them. Work did count as one of today’s problems, and it wasn’t like he didn’t already know there were issues at work.
“Yeah, I did,” Reese sighed at the thought of another obstacle on her plate.
Strolling along with her son, she let her mind wander through all the issues she had to work out. Tomorrow’s crept in, adding on to the weight of today’s. Their little house needed repairs she couldn’t put off much longer. She was so proud to be a homeowner. Well, partial owner if you counted the bank that held her mortgage. It was her name that was on the mortgage and her name that would eventually be on the deed. It was her work that kept a roof over their heads. No one was going to kick her out of their home again.
The front porch steps needed to be redone, the paint was peeling, the kitchen needed to be brought into this century, and it wouldn’t be long before the roof would need to be patched or replaced. She was working on the windows. Reese bought one every time she saved enough money and installed it herself. Thankfully, she learned how from those videos online.
The car was another story. At least when her car died, it was in her driveway this time. It would need to be fixed. Where the money was going to come from, she wasn’t sure. There were bills to pay, and by the looks, Mav would need new shoes again. Her job at the diner made ends meet most of the time. If she stretched them far enough and redefined the term necessity, things were taken care of most of the time.
“Are you going to get fired?” Mav asked.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “My boss wasn’t thrilled I had to leave. Guess I will find out tomorrow when I go in.”
“Sorry, Mom. I tried to ignore him this time.”
“I know you did, baby,” Reese smiled, slinging her arm around him, kissing his cheek the way she always did. “I was looking for a job when I went there. I can be looking for a job when I land somewhere else.”
“I guess. If you have to find a new job, maybe find one where your boss doesn’t grab your ass all the time.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” Reese sighed.
She couldn’t find it in her heart to correct him. Really, she couldn’t. Mav was right. Mr. Jacobs was a creepy old man who owned the diner. He got his jollies grabbing his waitress’ anywhere he could reach them. He called it getting their attention, but one of the first things you learned working at the diner was to be fast on your feet. Fast enough to keep the customers happy and away from Mr. Jacobs’s hands.
“Come on, let’s go home. I have some ice cream hidden in the freezer. I think we could both use some today.”
