She rolled her eyes, but surprisingly relented. “Fine. So why come back? You obviously didn’t care enough about your mom to visit her before. Why come back now when she’s sick?”

I knew she was right, and though I felt slightly offended, I couldn’t be mad at an observation that was true. “She’s my mom, Rocky. Regardless of everything she did. Regardless of what a shithole this place is—”

“Hey! I still live here, dipshit.” She snapped her fingers in annoyance. “My family and I grew a very successful business here—one you work in, might I add. Careful what you say!”

I stifled a strained laugh. “Fine, let me rephrase that. This town only provides opportunity for certain people.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she growled.

“You, Stephanie, that Ethan guy.” Ugh, even saying his name made me feel as if I were chewing live locusts in my mouth. “You all obviously had the potential and backing to make something of yourselves here. Not me. Not the kid who was struggling to find money to buy something to eat only to find out his mom blew it all on cigarettes.”

She blinked in surprise. “If you needed help, why didn’t you just ask? You know my family and I would have helped you.”

“I know, and that’s precisely why I didn’t want to ask you.”

“I don’t understand.”

I knew she wouldn’t. How could I explain something that seemed so obvious to me?

“Can you imagine what my mom would have done if she found out? She would have found a way to move into your house and drain you for every penny you had! My leaving was necessary for me and my mom. Did you know she finally held a job for longer than three months after I left?”

“Three years,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I looked up in surprise. I didn’t know she lasted that long.

Probably noticing the doubt on my face, she added, “I used to go to Gold Diner whenever I visited my family on the weekends during college. I’d see her in the back cooking.”

“Yeah, guess it runs in the family,” I mumbled.

“What does?”

I opened my mouth, but abruptly shut it. I wanted to tell her about Tyler’s Tavern, I really did. I wanted to shout it out loud: Rocky, I’m a changed man! But somehow I knew telling her about my other life in Charleston would just cause the rift between us to widen. She didn’t know how long I was staying in town, and for the time being that was the best case scenario. She’d probably think I was running away again.

“Never mind.” I sighed and hesitantly reached out to place my fingers on top of her wool jacket, finding myself wishing that we were skin to skin.

What the fuck are you doing, Jesse? You’re being ridiculous.

Pulling back quickly, I smirked. “I don’t expect you to understand my choices, Rocky. I really don’t. But I’m here now to take care of my sick mother because she has no one left to do so. If you knew anything about me, you’d know that underneath that dumb teenage facade I used to hold I was always a good guy. I’m even better now.”

“I know.”

I gazed into her eyes and frowned. How could she? Neither of us knew one thing about each other anymore. Apparently, nothing from senior year either. Still, it felt good to think she saw the best in me. Remembering Maurice’s words, I knew there was nothing I could do but to prove it to her.

Swallowing, I nodded my head. “Good.”

Chapter 18

Sometimes it just takes one pick to completely crack a block of ice. For Rocky and I, that pick was our night out. Sure, it didn’t go completely as planned, but at least it turned out for the better. In fact, it put me in a really great mood.

The next morning, I entered the kitchen humming an oddly familiar tune. It wasn’t until I began murmuring the words, “Kiss, kiss so we’ll never be apart,” that I recalled that it was the dumb song from homecoming night. I was about to laugh out loud when my mother rudely interrupted me.

“Jesse.” Her raspy voice was hard on the ears, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine if it was equally as hard on her throat to speak.

“Yeah?” I asked, guarded.

“Why are you so happy?” she asked suspiciously. She dragged herself into the kitchen, the oxygen tank’s wheels squeaking noisily behind her. “Finally get that Rocky girl in bed?”

For as crude as my mother could be, I had no idea she could be so uncomfortably blunt. I scowled. “Well, that’s an inappropriate thing to say to your son.”

Her oxygen tank ticked away, her breaths growing louder. “Why? Last time I checked you’re an adult, right? Pretty sure you know the difference between a penis and a vagina. Or rather, the fittings of a—”

“Mom, stop it!” I growled. “Why can’t you just act like a normal mother for once? I’m not looking to build a relationship but…” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish my sentence. Shaking my head, I yanked up my baggy sweats in exasperation and walked toward the fridge. Yanking the door open, I peered inside a lot longer than was warranted, hoping that by the time I was through she’d be gone.

I wasn’t that lucky.

“I was going through that list of nurses you left on the table. I don’t think you meant for me to find it, but I did.”

Crap. I really didn’t want her to butt into my process. She’d end up choosing the most expensive agency just to get a rise out of me.

I lifted my head and frowned. “Okay and your point is?”

She took a few more painful breaths before that eerie voice piped up once again. “I was thinking…”

What many people don’t understand is that favors can be a form of manipulation. Think about it; you’re asking somebody to do something for you. Usually these favors go unpaid, further adding to their appeal. As I watched the way my mother’s eyes darted from one side to the other, a strange déjà vu hit me. She wanted something. It was that easy to tell.

Coughing a bit, she continued in a hesitant tone. “Maybe we can pick one together.”

I nearly dropped my jaw. “Wait, what?”

Her slim shoulders shrugged, causing her plastic tubing to tap against the gigantic tank. It was a painful reminder that maybe she had changed. “Well, I figured that I’d be more inclined to know what I want in a nurse, but you’d know your budget parameters better. Seeing as that I’m the one staying here and you’ll be off back to Charleston, it’s quite fitting that we both have a say in this, right?”

Okay, who is this pod person and what did she do to my mother?

I took a few moments to respond, clearly in shock at the turn of events. After many years of wishing we had some team dynamic, finally being given the gift was a bit too much for me to comprehend.

“Um, yeah I guess that works,” I replied, albeit reluctantly.

Fine. I was still suspicious. Sue me.

She nodded in contentment, wheezing all the while. “Perfect.”

***

I got ready for work with my mom’s request still weighing heavily on my mind. Was she finally becoming the mom I always wanted her to be? Or was this just another one of her stupid mind games?

Why do you always think so badly about people? I pulled a shirt over my head and scowled. Maybe that’s why your life became so fucked up—you didn’t allow anyone in!

The realization caused my spirits to deflate, and by the time I reached Rossi’s Novelties, I was worried my mood would jeopardize whatever progress I’d made with Rocky. Luckily, my bad mood was only temporary. Not only did Rocky seem in high spirits that day, but Stephanie came to visit once again. It wasn’t long until we fell back into our old routine with some very interesting things coming to light…

“Are you a virgin?” I blurted out incredulously. I tried to hide the look of relief on my face. Though it was unjustified, imagining her with another guy brought me to an embarrassing level of jealousy.