Page 86 of Takedown

“Where?”

“He left the address when he was here yesterday. I was so angry at him for showing up, and I blamed him for our fight. I drove over there in a blind rage and pushed him against the wall. Punched a hole through it too.”

Her mouth hangs open at my confession. She examines my hands for any damage.

“I’m fine,” I tell her. “I didn’t hit him. His fiancée came in.”

“That’s it? You went over there, threatened him, and left?”

“No. His kid and the three-legged dog came out, and the kid asked me to go see his room. Then the sister came home. She saw me and hugged me. Kept touching my face and hair. Said I look and sound like their father and that Ethan guy, which is absolutely the worst thing anyone can say to me. I went and saw the kid’s room, played with him for a bit, and left. But when the sister came in, before she saw me, she started talking shit about Ma.”

Mel stiffens on top of me, but I don’t miss the flash of anger in her eyes.

“What the hell did she say?”

“That maybe my mother is the reason I won’t talk to them.”

Mel looks into my face and lets out a deep breath.

“Is she right, Adam? I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I had that thought too.”

I throw an arm over my eyes, but Mel pokes my stomach until I put my arm down.

“He hurt us both, but I don’t think she ever recovered. She never got married. Hardly dated at all. I think she felt guilty about being with a married man, even though he lied to her and she had no idea he was married until after she had me. But through it all, she never said a cross word about him to me. I hate him for what he did to us, and I don’t want to bring all that shit back. He’s dead, and I’d rather he stayed buried.”

I sigh when she strokes my hair. “But Adam,” she says softly, “he made you. If you don’t want anything to do with them because that’s what you want, I’ll support that. I’ll always support you, but if there’s any part of you that wants to get to know them, you owe it to yourself to do it. You are allowed to do something for you. And I’ve gotten to know your mom, and you’re her favorite person on earth. She would not be upset with you for wanting to get to know your siblings and your nephew. And you’re not the type of guy who shuts people out. You’re the opposite of that. You’re loving and welcoming and so amazing. The fact that you haven’t punched Jason yet is testament to that.”

I let out a laugh. “The kid is pretty cute. You should see him with his little glasses and his three-legged dog.” I smile at the memory of Ralph biting my pants and pulling me toward the stairs.

Mel gets up from my lap, offers me her hand, and helps pull me up.

“Let’s have an early dinner, and then we’re going to see your mom. We’re going to clear the air because I have a feeling that you’ve never talked about it. You assume she feels one way when you’ve never broached the subject. Did she ever shy away from talking about your father with you?”

“Never. She’s never lied to me or tried to change the subject when I did ask things. But I stopped talking about him years ago. I told her once that I never wanted to hear his name again, so she never brings him up.”

She puts an arm around my waist and walks us into the kitchen. It’s then that I notice the table’s been set. A mouthwatering aroma hits my nose and I realize how hungry I am.

I start to walk to the stove, but she pulls my arm and points at the chair, ordering me to sit. So, I do.

“We need a do over from yesterday,” she tells me. “Sit down and let me take care of you.”

“I love nineteen-fifties Mel. There’s more, love.” She pulls something out of the oven, and while she has her back turned, I admire her ass.

“I’m listening.”

“So, about that inheritance.” I take a deep breath and run a hand over my face. She puts chicken pieces on a serving platter and places it on the table in front of me. She sits directly across and waits for me to talk. I pat my lap, and she sits on my thigh. When I have my arms wrapped securely around her, I say, “I don’t want to keep anything else from you. He didn’t only leave money. There’s property.” I clear my throat. “Several properties, in fact. The house my ma lives in is mine. There’s also commercial real estate, shares in companies, artwork. He invested in a few startups and left those shares to me.” I take a big, relieved breath after getting that off my chest.

Mel remains silent. She looks at the floor, and I wait for her to respond to the new information.

“Okay.” She gets up and takes out a covered dish from the microwave.

“Okay? That’s it?” My stomach grumbles while my wife puts baked chicken and sweet potatoes on my plate.

“I don’t know what to say, Adam. But whether you’re rich or poor, you’re stuck with me.” I pull her back on my lap and rest my chin on her shoulder.

“Maybe it’s time I figure out how much all that other shit is worth.”

“Whatever you want to do, we’ll do it together. But do you really not know what any of it is worth?”

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