“You made sure he was still inside and locked the door, right?” I asked.
“Étienne. It’s my house. Why would I forget to do that?”
I nodded in agreement.
I’m obsessive when it comes to the well-being of my dog, and the security of the house. Especially after the one time I was home alone with Dana and a couple of kids from my street when we were eleven. We had been playing with water balloons in the backyard while the front and side doors were open. I went to the side of the house to fill more balloons from the hose when I thought I saw a figure move across the glass block basement window. It freaked me out so much that I ran to the house next door and asked old man Swanson to check it out. No one was there, but the experience rendered me paranoid for life.
Instead of dropping my brothers off in front of the school, my mom decided to park the car and walk the twins up to the entrance. Along with several other parents. I joined and tried helping my mom in taking some photos of them with their friends.
“Give me the camera. You don’t know what you’re doing,”I whispered, pulling the camera from her hands.
“Hey. Let me do it. You’re not getting close enough.”
“Ma. I’m zooming in. You don’t have to crouch to get a good shot. And do you remember how embarrassing it was for me when you tried using the camera at school?” I reminded her.
“Étienne. That was years ago. And it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
I side-eyed her. She bit her lip.
Yes, it was a big deal. My mom ran out of film at an assembly. This was before digital cameras were affordable. She asked another parent to take photos of me. How humiliating, right? The worst part was the next week in school when a kid in my class, who I’d never spoken to before, came up to me before lunch and handed me the photos. This made everything worse after knowing whose parent my mom engaged with.
“Come on. We’re both going to be late.” I lightly elbowed her.
“Just a minute, Ton— Étienne.”
The photos took longer than expected and I had to nudge my mom again, guiding her step by step to the car so I wouldn’t clock in late. I was only part-time. But still, punctuality mattered to me.
“I could’ve taken a few more pictures,” my mom said as we entered the car.
“I took some good ones that I know will be in focus. It’s fine.” I looked out my window, trying to remember what it was like going to that same school when I was my brothers’ age.
“So. Is he coming by again sometime soon?” She turned down the radio while we were sitting at the stoplight a block from the strip center where the jewelry store was located.
I closed my eyes, face still directed toward the passenger door window, trying to take in the heat of the morning sun.Why, Mom? Can’t I be left alone?I took a deep breath and turned to gaze in her direction. She had both her hands on the wheel, loose blonde curls covering the right half of her freckled face.
“What?” She twitched her head in my direction.
I looked forward as the light turned green and increased the volume of the radio as she flicked her right turn signal on.
“Hold on.” She grabbed my arm as I unbuckled.
“Ma, I only have like a minute to punch in.”
“What is with you lately, Étienne? You’re always absent. You can’t stand your brothers. You and Riley are at it. You don’t talk to me anymore,” she said before switching off the ignition.
I exhaled loudly, shaking my head as I looked up at the small mark on the car ceiling, probably from Callum’s shoe.
“Is it him? You know he’s welcome in our house.”
“Ma, stop. I’m fine. Got to go to work.” I opened the door, cutting her off.
“Is it your dad?”
That was my cue to leave. “All right. Bye.”
“I love you,” she yelled as I closed the door.
As I waited at the front entrance to be buzzed in, I heard my mom start her car and couldn’t stop this inner voice telling me to loosen up. No one was in sight, which meant everyone was still in the back room opening and sorting through the jewelry vault. I looked through the door window, waiting to escape this weird interaction with my mom. But she wouldn’t leave.I guess I am being rude.I rolled my eyes and rested my head on the door, exhaling. Then turned around and gave my mom a half grin and mouthed, “Love you too.”