As I lay there staring up at the ceiling, I heard a man’s laughter coming from downstairs. Frowning, I sat up, rubbed my eyes and listened again, yep a man’s laugh. I grabbed my sweats and made my way down to the kitchen.
I rounded the corner, and that was when I saw Joe for the first time. He had thick dark hair and bulky build. I could tell he was tall too. He was dressed in dress pants and a white shirt that hung open at the neck, his tie draped over the back of my mother’s chair. They sat there together, a mug of coffee in front of each of them. My mother’s hand rested in his and occasionally he would lift her hand and kiss the back of it, and then he would lean in and whisper something in her ear and she would blush and then let out a laugh. I stood in the doorway taking in this disgusting display of affection when he noticed me watching them. When my mother noticed Joe was looking past her, she turned and smiled. “Morning, honey, you’re up early.”
“Yeah, have to get the papers out,” I mumbled.
“A teenager with initiative, up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning.” I glared at him as he spoke but said nothing. I went to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice and poured myself a glass.
“Logan, I’d like you to meet Joe,” my mother said trying to understand the look on my face.
“Little early for company, isn’t it, Mom,” I grumbled, heading to the fridge to put the juice back ignoring the fact he held his hand out for me to shake. Suddenly I felt like the parent and Mom was the child, which was ridiculous since I had just turned seventeen.
“Joe’s just getting ready to head to work.”
“Leaving for work?” I questioned, “What the hell did he do, spend the night?” The embarrassment on my mother’s face followed by their uncomfortable silence confirmed what I guessed.
Joe stood and cleared his throat. “Nice to meet you, Logan, and on that cue, Anna, I’m going to go. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yes, seven correct?” He nodded, and I waited as he leaned down and kissed my mother. I glared after him and my mother as she walked him to the door. I didn’t like this one bit, there was something about the guy I didn’t like.
I had made a bowl of cereal and was on my way over to the table with my bowl and juice in my hand when Mom came back and sat down beside me. I said nothing, instead I shoved food into my face. I could sense her gaze burrowing into my head. “What?”
“Logan, what has gotten into you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmured.
“Yes, you do! You can’t be like that. Joe is a great man, Logan. Give him a chance and get to know him, please.”
“Does he know about Dad?” I questioned between mouthfuls. For whatever reason it was important for me to know that. It would determine for me how serious she was about this guy.
“Yes, I told him. He feels bad for you, growing up without a father.”
“Honestly, Mom, if you’re happy that is all that matters. But I don’t need to like him.” I stuck my face in my bowl and shoveled more cereal in my mouth. Mom sat there watching me, but I ignored her too and when my bowl was empty, I put it into the dishwasher and went to get dressed.
For the rest of the summer it was Joe at our place or Mom at his. She stopped asking me to get to know him and left me alone. At first it bothered me, but then I realized that with her being busy I could hang with my friends and just do whatever I wanted. When I finally succumbed and got to know Joe a little, he didn’t seem like that bad of a guy, but I made it clear I wasn’t interested in forming any type of relationship with him. He tried hard to get to know me, but something in me didn’t want to become attached to some man.
All that mattered was that he seemed to make Mom happy. I already knew when I got married, I wanted to build the perfect life, for the perfect family, but right now all I was concerned with was getting good grades in school. I had plans to move out of state for college, I even had the school and program picked out. So, if Mom had someone to occupy her time when I moved it was better for me because I wouldn’t feel as if I were abandoning her.
It was one of the last few weeks of summer before I was starting my senior year and I was in the kitchen making my afternoon snack when I heard the front door slam. “Logan, I’m home. Where are you, sweetie?” I heard Mom call from the entryway.
“In here, making a snack.” Mom had returned from Mexico with Joe two weeks ago. It had been her first vacation in years and when she returned, she looked more relaxed and refreshed than she had since before my father died. Today was her first day back to work and from the sound of her banging around it hadn’t been a good day. She walked into the kitchen and threw her purse on the table flinging her light fall jacket on the back of the chair. The mornings were getting cooler now that September was just about here.
“Do you have dinner planned for tonight, sweetie?” she asked, sitting down and rolling her neck.
I carried my plate over to the table and took one look at my mother. Her tan had faded, and she was already looking worn out. It didn’t surprise me since she had no down time—she was either looking after me or spending time with Joe. It was catching up to her as I feared it would.
“I pulled chicken from the freezer. I could throw it on the barbecue,” I said shoving a cracker with cheese into my mouth, offering her the plate. It wasn’t unlike me to barbecue or cook dinner for us, Mom already did enough.
She shook her head at my offer a smile coming to her lips. “How would you like to go out for a special dinner.” I looked at her funny. We never ate out, the only exception being my birthday and that had already passed. We couldn’t afford it.
“Mom, is everything all right, you’re not sick, are you?” I said shoving another cracker in my mouth and washing it down with a swig of soda, a worried expression crossing my face.
She let out a little laugh. “Heaven’s no, it’s just Joe and I have special news. We would like to tell you and Leah together.” She stood from her chair, rubbed my shoulder as she walked past me and put the kettle on for her afternoon tea.
“Leah? What news?” I said with my mouth full looking over at my mother.
“Yes, Leah, his daughter, remember I told you about her. She’s just entering her sophomore year at your school. I’ve mentioned her to you before. As for what we want to tell you, it’s a surprise. We want to tell you both once we get to the restaurant, so get yourself ready. Logan, make sure you dress nicely, we are leaving at six,” she said, pulling the box of tea down from the cupboard.
I watched her, she was in her own little world, a small smile plastered on her face. I left my plate on the table and headed upstairs to my room.