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“Mike,” she said. “It’s nice to see you.”
I couldn’t tell if there was anything disapproving in the statement, so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “It’s nice to see you too.”
“Your father told me he met the girl you moved in with,” Mom said, taking me by the elbow and leading me to the kitchen table.
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
She pointed to a chair, leaving me no choice but to obey. “I’d like to meet her.”
I frowned. “I don’t know…”
“Why not?” She hunted through the refrigerator for leftovers.
“You know why not,” I said, dreading the development of this conversation. I was locked into lunch at this point and had to defend my decision to keep Mom and Tammy apart.
“No, I do not know why not.” She slammed a Tupperware onto the counter.
“You’re going to tell her about my conviction.”
“You haven’t told her?” She scooped a piece of lasagna onto a plate and stuck it in the microwave.
“No,” I sighed.
“You moved in with her and you didn’t tell her that you have a criminal record?” Mom fussed.
“I didn’t tell her because I’m not a criminal, and I’m not dangerous. I’ll tell her when I’m ready, but not before.”
The microwave beeped, and Mom took the plate out, setting it in front of me with a fork. I took two bites of it before she went to the cabinet and found another one of those goddamned drug tests. I slammed my fork down, swallowing what little I had managed to chew. It was actually pretty good.
“Mom!”
“Don’t you start with me,” she snapped.
“This is why I don’t want you to meet her.” I stood up, ready to go.
“If you don’t invite me over for dinner, I’ll just show up one day and have a little chat with this young lady,” Mom threatened, her face flushing with anger.
I stood there, debating for a long moment. Finally, I picked up the test and stormed into the bathroom. A moment later I was back, staring daggers at the woman who had brought me into the world.
“I’ll invite you over for dinner, but you have to promise to keep quiet,” I said, bargaining for what little concession I could get.
Mom sighed. “Okay, I won’t say anything. I’m just worried about you. I know you say you’re innocent, but if you do have a drug problem, it would do you no favors if I ignored it.”
I shook my head. “I would so much prefer you to ignore it.”
“That is exactly what I will not do.” Mom pointed a finger at me. “Are you going to finish your lunch?”
“I’m not hungry,” I offered lamely.
“Well, I don’t want to throw it out,” she grumbled.
I couldn’t win. I came for a free meal and had to eat shit. I sat back down to finish the plate, staring straight ahead, not engaging. Mom went into the bathroom to check the test results. She came back to tell me that I was clean and to thank me for cooperating. I finished my lunch and left, kissing her once on the cheek without feeling. Now I had even more on my mind than before. Sure, Mom had promised not to spill the beans, but would she live up to that promise when she actually met Tammy? There was only one way to know, and I was afraid I was going to find out.
Iwas actually dreading walking through my front door. I had worked toward my own space forever it seemed, found the perfect girl to share it with, and now I didn’t want to cross the threshold. I stood trying to talk myself into it for half a minute before sliding my key into the lock. A heavenly scent took me away from my struggles as I walked in to see Tammy in the kitchen. She was making chicken—my chicken, but she was using some combination of spices I had never smelled before.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hello.” She switched off the stove and came to kiss me. It wasn’t an invitation to tear her clothes off, but it wasn’t a sisterly kiss either. The combination of the cooking and the greeting calmed me down considerably.
