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“Do you think she has the time?” she asks.
“Of course, she’s retired,” I shrug, pulling out my phone.
“True, but she’s the busiest retired woman that I’ve ever known. Have you seen her calendar?”
I shake my head. I know my parents are always going out of town on those day tripper bus trips, but I never really paid much attention. Mason spends at least one afternoon a weekend with her, but she doesn’t really talk to me much about any of the other stuff she is doing.
“How do you know how busy she is?” I ask.
“She comes by the shop regularly and gives me the latest run down,” she replies simply.
“Oh, she does? Has she been in recently?” I quirk an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, then hold up my hand as I place the phone to my ear, knowing it’s one of her pet peeves to ask a question and then hold off on allowing her to answer. Summer shakes her head in answer, but of course I can see that she wants to say more.
“Hello?” my mother answers the phone loudly.
“Ma? You busy?” I ask.
“I’m never busy for my loving and only son.”
“Good,” I pull the phone away from my ear, set it on speaker phone and then put it on the counter between Summer and myself. “Do you have any interest on doing some volunteer work?”
“Oh honey, I don’t think I have the energy for a classroom full of six and seven year old’s anymore.”
“Oh, no. Not with my class, although I would love for you to come and read to them like usual next semester, but I’m calling on behalf of my girlfriend.”
Summer waves her hand and mouths something to me, but since I’m trying to not laugh and to push her hands out of the way, I can’t tell what she’s saying.
“Since when do you have a girlfriend and why is this the first that I’m hearing of this? I think it would be smart of me to meet this mystery woman if you’re asking me to volunteer with someone. I mean really, Shaw. I don’t think that’s a good way to introduce a woman to your mother.” I can tell by the unpleased tone of her voice that she’s disappointed. Before she can continue to think poorly of me, I laugh.
“Mom, you already know her.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you’ve known her for a while, in fact—”
“Shaw, stop being a jerk. Hello Janet,” Summer chimes in as she swats at my shoulder.
“Summer? Dear? Is that you?” she asks.
“Yes, it’s me. Shaw’s being mean, ignore him.”
“I do, most of the time. But why is he getting an old woman’s hopes up that he’s got a woman and fallen in love? Such cruel behavior, if you ask me,” I hear more disappointment in her tone.
“Well, you see, he wasn’t really lying,” Summer says slowly.
“You can’t be saying that you two are together? That’s the funniest thing that I’ve ever heard, you’re too smart for him, dear.”
“Hey! I resent that. I’m smart too, mom!” I defend myself.
“Enough with the jokes already,” my mother says.
“It’s not a joke, mom.”
