Page 180 of Five Mountain Daddies

“Takewhat?”

“If your mom refuses to come. It’s not you, it’s just… people don’t make the bestchoices.”

“I won’t.” I can’t help but smile. He’s so worried about how I’ll feel, it’s actually pretty sweet. “See yousoon.”

I get in my car and head out. I stop off at my apartment to get changed before driving back out to my mom’s place. I park the car out front and knock on thedoor.

She answers, grumbling at me. I recognize the way she’s frowning and smoking furiously. I’m guessing she’s hungover, probably got too drunk last night. I hate to imagine her sucking down bottles of wine, afraid that someone’s going to come and hurt her, all because ofme.

“How’s it going?” I askher.

“Fine,” she says, sitting down. “Just not feeling thatgreat.”

I make a mental note that she’s not drinking yet, which is a good sign. Usually, she’d have broken out the vodka already, trying to cure herhangover.

“Listen, I want to talk to you,” Isay.

She grumbles. “I figured that’s why you’rehere.”

“I talked with Wyatt. Look, Mom, we’re notstopping.”

I sit down across from her and for a second, I think she’s going to be angry. I notice a flash of something come across her face, and I think it’sanger.

Instead, I realize that it’s something else completely. It disappears as quickly as it appeared, and I’m left a little offbalance.

“Okay,” she says. “Iunderstand.”

“Youdo?”

“Of course I do. You’re trying to help yourbrother.”

“Just, last night you seemed tothink…”

She holds up her hand, cigarette between her lips. “Don’t,” shesays.

“What?” I look at her,surprised.

“I wasn’t myself lastnight.”

I blink and slowly realize that she was drunker than I realized when she came over. “Mom,” I saysoftly.

“I know,” she answers. “Okay? I understand. I need to quit. But I can’t. Is that what you wanted tohear?”

“No,” I say, but at the same time, it is. She’s never admitted to having a problem before, never so much as admitted to having a hangover. Of course, I can tell, but she always played it off and pretended to beokay.

This is a step in the right direction, at the veryleast.

“Come back with me,” I say to hersoftly.

“Where? Your place?” She shrugs. “Can’t be better thanhere.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Back to the motel where Wyatt’sstaying.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“He can watch over you,” Isaw.

“I don’t need minding by somekid.”

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