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When I knocked on Erica’s door, an older woman answered. Her hair was the same color as Erica, aside from gray strands, but she had dark eyes that didn’t seem to miss a thing.
“And who are you?” she asked.
“My name is Brett Loomis,” I said.
The woman opened her mouth, no doubt to say something rude, judging by the expression on her face, but Erica appeared in the doorway with her. She looked surprised to see me, but she nodded to the woman.
“It’s okay, Mom. It’s my boss.”
Erica’s mother folded her arms over her chest, and she looked like she had a mouthful to say about that, but she didn’t. Instead, she stepped to the side and let me walk into the apartment.
“Brett, this is my mom, Cynthia. Mom, this is my boss, Brett.”
Cynthia nodded, but she didn’t accept the hand I extended toward her. “Oh, I know exactly who he is, honey.”
So, the way she had demanded to know who I was when she had opened the door had been a trick to intimidate me. After what Erica had told me about her, I wasn’t surprised. Cynthia looked me up and down, sizing me up. I glanced at Erica who sighed and shook her head slightly. The motion was made for me alone, and it made me feel like, despite our differences, Erica and I were still on the same side.
“I need to go,” Cynthia said after a moment, glancing at her wristwatch. “But if you need me to stay, I will change my plans.”
Erica shook her head. “It’s okay, Mom. You can go.”
Cynthia looked like she wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Maybe she thought I had forced Erica into the situation that had blown up in the paper. She glared at me before she turned around, picked up her handbag, and kissed her daughter on the cheek.
“I’ll call you later.” She walked past me without saying goodbye and left the apartment. When the door was closed behind her, Erica let out another sigh.
“I’m sorry about that. My mom is past the age where she believes she has to be polite to anyone she doesn’t approve of.”
“So, she doesn’t approve of me then?” I said with a chuckle.
“It’s not personal. She thinks every man is horrible after what my dad did to her.”
I nodded. Something about Erica was definitely off. When I’d come here, I had expected to find her sick in bed. Even though she didn’t look physically ill, she looked like something was wrong. She was shaky, her eyes were swollen, and her whole demeanor was deflated. I wanted to know what was wrong. I was starting to think that Erica was telling me she was sick, but that something else was up. I wanted to ask her about it, but I decided against it. We hadn’t ended on a good note when I had last seen her, and I wanted to keep everything neutral and friendly. If there was something Erica wanted me to know, she would tell me. I was sure of it. Besides, she had been under a lot of pressure lately. Maybe it really was just that, maybe it was all catching up to her.
“I brought you something to eat,” I said, holding up the packet of food I had brought along.
“You don’t have to keep doing this,” Erica said, but she was smiling when she took the packet from me.
“Of course I do. I know how shitty it is to be sick and have to cook for yourself. I want to take care of you.”
Erica’s eyes jumped to mine, and there was an expression on her face I couldn’t quite read. I wished I knew what was going on in her mind, what she was thinking, and what she was feeling.
“Thank you for this,” Erica said. “It means a lot. Do you want me to dish up for you too?”
I shook my head. “That is for you. I just had lunch at work.”
Erica nodded and walked to the kitchen. I followed her and leaned my hip against the counter while she produced a plate and dished herself food. She took less than she usually ate, then she put the plate into the microwave to warm it up.
“Do you want to sit with me in the living room?” Erica asked after the microwave beeped.
I nodded. Even though Erica was quiet and distant, quite switched off, she wasn’t rude to me, and there was no evidence of that angry, panicked person I had seen on Friday night. This was a good sign. Whatever had been bothering her the other night wasn’t anymore. Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal after all.
