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“Hello, son.” She flipped over the open sign and locked the door, then turned around with a wide smile on her face. “Ready for lunch?”
“It’s a good thing there’s no one else in here or you would have made them feel very uncomfortable locking them in.”
“I checked first, unless there’s someone in the bathroom?”
“No, there’s not.”
“Then stop looking for an issue when there isn’t one,” she said cheerfully, picking up the bag of food. “I dropped your father’s lunch off first and then ordered ours, so hopefully it’s at least warm.”
“You know I don’t usually close for lunch.”
“Honey, come on, how much business are you going to get in the half hour it takes for us to eat our food and visit?” She waved the bag in the air. “Should we take this to the backroom?”
“No, it’s full of stock,” he lied. The last thing he wanted was his mother wandering around his art studio, lamenting on how he should be doing something with his talent. “We can eat in the office.”
Declan picked up the drinks and took the bag from her, leading the way to the small room that his dad used for many years to balance the books and interview new employees. When Declan was growing up, he used to come into the busy store and pretend to help customers, anything to spend time with his dad, but he’d spent a lot of hours coloring at the large desk in his dad’s office. An office chair, a couple of metal folding chairs against the wall, and a metal filing cabinet in the corner took up most of the small space now, but he hadn’t done a thing to change it.
“Wow, this room hasn’t changed at all,” his mom said, following him into the musty office.
“I don’t use it.” Declan flipped on the light and it flickered a few times before it settled to life. He opened one of the chairs and sat down in it, waving his hand to the office chair. “You can take that one.”
“Your father mentioned he hadn’t been coming into work. How are you doing running it? I know that you had other plans after college.”
“It’s fine. When Dad busted his hip, he needed me.” Declan opened up one of the containers and finding a green salad inside passed it over to her. “Being there for your family trumps everything.”
“What about the times I invited you to come see me? Or asked to visit you? Aren’t I your family?”
“You didn’t need me. You were living your own life, the one we were holding you back from.”
“I suppose I deserve that.” She took the container and set it on the desk. “I wasn’t abandoning my family, Declan. I was choosing happiness. I thought I explained that.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself, Mom.”
“Now, wait a second,” she said sharply. “We had this discussion years ago and you’ve punished me ever since, pushing me out of your life, and I let you. I thought eventually you’d understand, but I spent eighteen years caring for you, being on your side when you needed me. I am a good mother. How does all of that get erased because your father and I divorced?”
“That wasn’t all you did. You made him pay you for your half in the store and the house and you took off. He spent years providing for us and you just left, happy to abandon him and travel the world.”
“Is that what he said happened?” she asked softly.
“I mean…I know he had to pay you a divorce settlement and then you were gone. He doesn’t talk about it at all, but if it looks and quacks like a duck—”
“Have you ever asked him? Or was it easier to paint me as the bad guy?” She stood up suddenly, staring down at him with tired green eyes. “You were an adult, Declan. We decided to wait to divorce until you were out of the house and away at college, but you were still our child and we didn’t want to drag you into our mess. If either your father or I choose not to discuss why we split, you shouldn’t have taken it upon yourself to decide who was to blame and instead minded your own business.”
“If things were so bad, then why are you here? Having sleepovers and pretending like the last ten years didn’t happen?” Declan stood up, anger radiating through him. “He has no one. He was hurt and scared and I was there. Not you.”
“It’s because of the last ten years I can be here now. I needed time away from your father and this place. When I called Liam a year ago, I was out of options with how to reach you. I’ve tried to figure out what I can say to you that will stop this childishness, but I give up.”
“Do you know what’s going on with him?”
“Yes, he told me a few months ago. I couldn’t figure out why you were still here.” She laughed softly, adding, “You used to tell me every day that you couldn’t wait to put this town in your rear view.”
“Unfortunately, I guess I didn’t inherit your selfishness. Are you here hoping to get in on whatever he’s got left before his mind goes?”
His mom’s lips thinned. “No. I’m here because your father and I reconnected and I thought if I came back you and I might be able to overcome this wall between us. That if things work out you can get back to living your life on your terms.”
“Life isn’t always apple pie and ice cream. Sometimes the pie is cold or the ice cream melts, but you make do with what you’re served.”
“That’s a beautiful metaphor, sweetheart, but you only get one life to live. Relationships are complicated, honey, and sometimes when they fail, it’s not about figuring out who is to blame but moving on and forgiving the past.” His mom dropped her food into the bin without taking a bite. “I’ll let you finish your lunch. Think about what I’ve said, because no matter how many times you ignore my calls or reject my overtures I love you unconditionally and will be waiting when you’re ready to move on.”
