Page 15 of Undeniably Perfect

I peek around the corner and sigh. I lower the bat. It’s an older woman. Based on her facial features and my spying on Kent’s family photo, there’s no doubt in my mind that she is Kent’s mother.

I lean the bat against the wall and the noise has her turning toward me.

She smiles and it evokes something in me. This woman screams mother. Like seriously, if I imagined the perfect mom, she would definitely be it.

“Well, hello there, dear. I’m Kathy, Kent’s mom. You must be Tabitha?”

I wonder what Kent has said about me. “Uh, yes. It’s nice to meet you.” I cross the room to shake her hand but instead, she pulls me in for a warm hug.

“I’m so sorry about the fire, sweetheart. Is there anything you need? Anything I can help with?” she asks as though she’s known me my whole life.

She releases me but holds on to my shoulders as she looks into my eyes. She’s short, about an inch or two shorter than me, which strikes me as strange because Kent is so tall. She’s pretty. She has some gray streaks in her otherwise chin-length wavy brown hair. Her eyes are an icy blue surrounded by thick eyelashes. She has few wrinkles or imperfections on her skin, which she clearly takes care of. She’s wearing a pretty green blouse and black pants with sandals. She’s not rail thin but not overweight. She has curves that make you want to hug her. She really looks like the perfect mother.

I shake my head, surprised by the emotion that bubbles to the surface. I take a deep breath before answering. “No, thank you. I appreciate that, though. I’m actually heading over to meet with my insurance adjuster.”

“What time?” she asks, glancing at her watch.

“In about an hour,” I admit.

She smiles. “Well then, you can come to lunch with us. We always go to this little Chinese restaurant around the corner, the Blue Palace. Do you like Chinese food?”

“Uh, yeah?”

She gives me a look that I can only describe as motherly. She opens her mouth to speak but is cut short by Kent.

“Hey, Mothership!” he says as he walks in and picks his mom up in a giant bear hug. She plants a kiss on his cheek and squeezes his bicep.

“Hey, sweetheart. I was just inviting Tabitha to lunch with us.”

Kent

“Tabby, please,” Tabitha corrects. I smirk because the nickname suits her. She’s a loner like a cat and busy like a kitten.

“Well, Tabby, what say you?” I ask, emphasizing her name.

She blushes. “Uh, yeah, sure. Why not?”

We walk down to the restaurant as my mom drones on in her normal bubbly way. Her inner cheerleader is strong even decades after she was one. She even has a bounce to her step. She’s oblivious to normal-human-contact conventions and loops her arm through Tabitha’s as they walk. She talks with her other hand. I drown out her discussion of this part of the city as my phone buzzes. I groan. It’s the team manager.

Walt: Stop by my office before practice

Me: Will do

I groan because I’m sure he wants an update on how my “getting my head in the game” stuff is going. I open the door to the restaurant as Tabitha and my mother walk inside.

“Mr. Kent! You no call me. Lucky, I have table for you,” says a man at the front desk.

“Thanks, Mr. Wu. I meant to call for a reservation and completely forgot.”

Mr. Wu grabs menus and walks to a table in the corner.

“Who is your lady friend?” he asks. He holds out his hand to Tabitha. “I am Mr. Wu.”

Tabitha gives him a big smile. “I’m Tabitha. Nice to meet you, Mr. Wu.”

Mr. Wu rattles off the specials, and we all order.

“So, you are a photographer?” my mom asks as she lays a linen napkin across her lap.

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