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Meeting the Mom (Again)
Nova felt scared when Linc parked his huge motorcycle in the old, cracked driveway. She also felt ashamed. Ashamed that this was her mother’s house.
The gutters so clogged up that little trees were growing out of them. The house dirty, in need of a good power washing. The grass overgrown. All things that Nick could have done before he went missing. Things Nick would never do. Things her mother pretended wasn’t a big deal at all.
As far as the gut sinking feeling of fear Nova had—that was because of Linc. Her mother never liked Linc at all. It was one of the few times her mother showed care, concern, and one of the few times that Nova felt like a rebellious teenager. Climbing out of her bedroom window, carefully walking down the roof to an old trellis that was now rotten and half missing. Working her way down that trellis and running through the yard to her version of freedom.
To be with Linc. To chase that young love. To feel those butterfly teen love feelings.
Linc grabbed Nova’s hand. “You’re safe with me. Always.”
The worst part was that Nova knew her mother was and always would be totally weak. She was an alcoholic. She had zero direction and purpose in life. The woman chose to live in pain and live in a bottle. Yet that notion of being Nova’s mother weighed so much on her.
Nova knocked on the door and waited. She heard her mother jump off the couch and run to the door. She tore it open with force. The look in her eyes…
“Nova,” her mother said. Then her mother looked at Linc. “Lincoln?”
“Gail,” Linc said in a deep voice.
“Holy shit look at you.” Nova’s mother’s eyes grew wider by the second. “You’re… huge. And you’re… one of those…”
She nodded to the leather cut.
Nova’s mother looked at Nova. “Is this…?”
“It’s the only choice, Mom,” Nova said.
Her mother scoffed, then turned and walked away. Linc touched Nova’s back and they entered the house. Nova felt embarrassed by the way the house smelled. That dried beer smell. Dusty and dirty. A touch of mold. The garbage not taken out, so a slight rotting food smell. Stale cigarette smoke that painted the walls and ceilings.
Nova’s mother lit a cigarette and poured herself a cup of coffee. She didn’t offer any to Nova or Linc. That was because Nova’s mother couldn’t afford to.
“Look at this,” Nova’s mother said. She grabbed a letter off the dining room table. “They’re shutting the electric off! Can you believe this? I’m going through a crisis and this is how they treat me! I told them my son is missing. They didn’t even care!”
“Gail, I’m going to find Nick,” Linc said.
“I can’t believe you, Nova,” her mother said, ignoring Linc. “I can’t believe it. You said you had it under control. That you hired someone. Right? You hired this motorcycle club? To do what?”
“To find Nick!” Nova yelled.
Her mother stepped toward her and Linc stepped right into the path.
“Don’t you dare think about touching her, Gail,” Linc growled.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re a criminal. A gangster.”
“Call the police then,” Linc said. “Tell them your son is missing. Go ahead. See how that works out for him. Where the fuck do you think he is, Gail? He’s on the streets somewhere. Probably burned out. High. Broke. Losing himself. That’s what you created for him here.”
“Fuck you, Lincoln. You corrupted my daughter back then and you’re doing it again now.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Linc said. “Your daughter is the most beautiful soul I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. And you’re just fucking evil.”
Nova’s jaw almost hit the floor. Linc moved out of the way and she saw her mother’s face. Bright red. Her bottom lip trembling. Tears in her eyes. Nova kept a stern face.
“What the fuck, Gail,” Linc said. “Three months behind on the electric bill. No wonder they’re going to turn it off.”
“You don’t know what it’s like here, Lincoln,” Nova’s mother said.
“I guess not,” Linc said. He reached into his pocket and began counting cash. He put it on the table. “There. Get to the bank, deposit this, and pay the fucking bill. Stop drinking for an hour to act like an adult, okay?”
