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I don’t argue. It’ll be nice to have Victoria’s softness around when Mom finds us on her doorstep. She gave us strictinstructions to leave her be, but I’m hoping that a wedding will be enough to override her order.
“Alannah’s been taking her round dinners and groceries…” she’s interrupted by her phone ringing. She answers, and it takes no guesses who’s on the other end. In the quietness of the car, I hear the whole thing.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“With Myles. We’re going to pick my Mom up. Why? Where the fuck are you?” she retorts.
“You could’ve told me you were leaving. I’ve been waiting with River.”
“We won’t be long. I’ll text when we’re on the way back. Love you, bye.”
She ends the call and chucks her phone in the back seat.
“Trouble in your fucked up paradise?” I ask.
“Not really. He’s just been annoying me.”
“How so?” I snort.
“He’s being too nice. He’s everywhere I am, checking on me like I’m going to break or something.”
“He’s worried about you. You’ve lost two important people in your life in a matter of days. He’s right to be on you. As far as him being too nice, it’s probably burning him to be so.”
She laughs. “I wish you knew him better. He’s the farthest thing from an asshole… most of the time.”
“I don’t have to know him better to know he loves you, I see it. Let him look after you.”
I pull up outside Mom’s, and both Victoria and I stare at Dad’s bike. I don’t know who brought it over.
“Do we knock or let ourselves in?” Victoria asks, unsure.
“We’ve never knocked,” I grunt.
I unlock the door and step inside. I don’t know what I was expecting, but the place is immaculate. Dad’s music plays quietly in the kitchen, and Mom is sitting at the table, her handswrapped around a mug of coffee, she’s dressed, and staring off out of the back window.
“Mom?” Victoria says quietly.
“I told you I’d call you. As you can see, I’m perfectly okay.” She doesn’t look our way, not until I pull out a chair opposite her and give her no choice.
“I’ve got news, and if we left you out, you would’ve been heartbroken.”
This gets her attention. “Go on.”
“You need to pick out a pretty dress and let me take you into town.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m getting married today, and I need my mom there.”
She laughs,thatI wasn’t expecting. “No, you’re not.”
“He is, Mom. He’s been planning it over the last few days. It’s all set. He only just told Em this morning.”
She reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers. “Really?”
I nod. Her eyes fill with water. “Don’t cry, Mom.”
“I’m happy. My son, who I never thought would marry, is getting wed.”
