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“Yeah, I can see your point. I never cared for school either. I just meant that each year carries new experiences.”
He rolls his eyes again and mumbles, “Still nothing to be excited about.”
I can tell T’s attitude isn’t deterring her, but I’ve seen enough of it. Therefore, I say, “Eyes and attitude, T.”
He looks up at me, and I can tell he wants to roll his eyes again but doesn’t. He knows he’s pushing the limit.
He goes back to shoveling pizza in his mouth. “How are Taekwondo lessons going? Your mom still taking you?”
He shrugs and says, “Yeah, when she has the time, which isn’t very often. Jay’s mom normally picks me up.”
“What do you mean, ‘when she has time’? She only works twenty hours a week. What in the hell else does she do thatcauses her not to have time to take you to a few classes a week?”
“Don’t know. She’s just gone a lot.”
“Does she leave you alone at the house often?” I ask. Yes, if pushed, T could take care of himself for a few hours, but he’s still just a kid and shouldn’t have to. I look over at Mia, who’s watching us talk with her brows puckered. I can see a barely visible hardness to her eyes, like she’s not liking what she’s hearing. I don’t like it either.
“A few times a week, for a few hours. Doesn’t matter though, I can take care of myself.” He stops talking and then adds something so quietly I don’t hear him.
“What was that?” I ask.
Instead of answering, he glances over at Mia quickly before bringing his eyes back to mine. When I look at Mia, I can tell she’s becoming more uncomfortable the further this conversation goes. T has finished eating and is now avoiding my eyes.
“T, look at me,” I tell him firmly. Reluctantly, he brings his gaze back to me. “What did you say?”
Before he can answer, Mia speaks up. “I think I should go.” She tries to stand, but I grab her arm, bringing her back down into her seat. She huffs out a breath but stays seated.
“No. You stay,” I tell her, and swing back to face T. “Speak up, Trent.”
“Dad, really? Do we have to do this in front ofher?” He says the word her in a sneer, and I feel rather than see Mia flinch.
“First, you’ll show her respect. Her name is Mia and she’s a friend of mine. Second, lose the attitude. I don’t know what’s up with you lately, but it stops now. And third—”
“Mac—” Mia tries to interrupt, but I talk over her.
“Yes, we do this right now. Tell me what you said.”
Acting like a true ten-year-old, he crosses his arms over his chest and pouts before saying, “Fine! I said I was used to taking care of myself.”
What the hell?
“Explain, T. You’re ten. You’re not supposed to be taking care of yourself.” My temper is spiking, and I have to force myself to not show it. I leave my kid with his mother, and I expect her to care for him as a mother should. Tessa’s not the best mother. I’ve always known that, but it never crossed my mind that she was neglecting him.
In his boy voice, T confirms my suspicions. “She’s not at the house much, and when she is, she doesn’t do anything. She hardly cooks. I have to feed myself most of the time. I have to do my laundry too, or I wouldn’t have anything clean to wear. The dishes are always dirty until I wash them.”
When he’s finished, it takes everything I have not to jump up and go after the bitch. What the fuck? What in the hell is she thinking? What is she doing all the time when she’s not there? And when she is, what is she doing? I grit my teeth and ball my hands into fists. My blood’s boiling. There’s something obviously going on, and I intend to find out just what it is. I’ve put up with a lot of shit from her, but when it comes to the care of my son, that’s not something I’m willing to play around with.
“I’ll talk with your mom when she picks you up. We’ll get this straightened out. If she continues what she’s doing after I speak with her, you pick up the phone and call me. This is not cool what she’s doing, and you can bet it’s going to stop. You understand, T?”
“Yeah sure, Dad, whatever,” he says, in a tone that says he doesn’t believe me. I turn my chair so I’m completely facing him. I want him to see and hear the seriousness in my eyes and voice.
“I mean it, Trent. This won’t continue. I’ll get it taken care of, but you need to let me know when shit like this happens, okay?”
He weighs my words before replying with, “Okay. Can I go back to my room now?”
I watch him for a minute to make sure he grasps what I’m saying. “Yeah. Put your plate in the dishwasher before you go.”
He picks his plate up and briefly glances at Mia before puttingit away.
