Page 88 of Here's to Yesterday

“How does Tannernotknow all ofthis?”

“Easy. We don’t tellhim.”

“We?” she questions, swinging her feet, bouncing them off the side of the platform, ready tolisten.

“My mother, Joanne, and Aaron keep it very hush-hush. Ma is on and off the wagon all the time, but Tanner doesn’t know that either. We pretend everything is all hunky-dory when he comeshome.”

“But…why?”

“Remember how he saidIwas the golden child? Well,heis,” I say with a frown. “Like I said, I always knew I was different. Aaron always treated me like I didn’t matter and always seemed to focus all his attention on Tanner—which didn’t bother me, because I honestly never liked Aaron. We didn’t do that whole bonding thing from the start, making things fairly strained between us. Because of this, Tanner always thought his father rode his ass for everything and let me get by doing whatever the hell I wanted. In truth, he wanted what was best forhisson and to forget about my existence. This caused Tanner to resent me, and by the time I found out about Gary, Tanner was out of the house, so it didn’t matteranymore.”

“And Tanner doesn’t know about your mother’s drinkingproblem?”

I give a dry, pitiful laugh. “No. She’s been clean for the most part while he’s beengone.”

She twists her lips up. “And didn’t you say theyalmostgot divorced onetime?”

“Ah, she does pay attention,” I tease as I spin on my heel and continue my back-and-forth walk. “I did say that. It was the closest they ever came, actually. Ma got a DWI and, naturally, Aaron was pissed. In place of getting her help, he sent us away to my grandmother’s for two weeks and then started filing for divorce. In that short time, Tanner signed up for the Army, thinking it would drive them together and not apart. My mother convinced Aaron it would be best for them to be together for Tanner. Things were good for a while. Aaron paid attention to me and my mom stoppeddrinking.”

“Until Tanner did his tour in Germany. She relapsed,” Maura guesses as she turns around to stare atme.

I stop walking and point at her. “You’re good. That’s exactly it. I find out then about Gary and the rest is…well, it’snow.”

“Is shesober?”

“Fornow.”

“Huh,” is all she says, turning back around to face the seatingarea.

All that can be heard is my feet padding across the floor and her ballet flats squeaking against the surface of the stage every time she hits it. I let her sit and take in all she’sheard.

It’s a lot, too. I know that I always give off this easygoing vibe, but it hasn’t always been that way. I was an angry teen growing up with a “father” who looked at me like I was nothing but dirt and a mother who regretted me daily—although I am thankful for both because I managed to channel all my anger and resentment into my music. Truthfully, I wish it hadn’t been that way for me growing up. But in the end, I got Gary out of it, and that’s a damn fine deal tome.

“All right, kid,” Gary says as he comes walking out the back hallway. “Appointment is set for next week. But I’m drivingmyself.”

I hop down off the stage and turn around to pull Mauradown.

“No way in hell. I’m taking you and that’sthat.”

Gary places his hands on his hips and flicks his gaze to Maura. “Does this little shit boss you around,too?”

She covers her mouth as a giggle tries to bubble up. “I think he knowsbetter.”

The old man lets out a huff. “Fine. You can drive me. But after this one, I’m driving myself to all my other appointments because last I checked, I was the parent aroundhere.”

“I’ll think aboutit.”

“Bet I can guess who you got your stubbornness from,” Mauramutters.

I glare at her. “Nothelping.”

She shrugs. “Who said I was here tohelp?”

Gary’s lips twitch at her remark. “I like this one, Tucker. Try and hang on to her, huh? Now, you two either need to scram or help out. I’ve got a club to open in less than anhour.”

“Don’t have to tell us twice. Come on, Maura,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward thedoor.

“Bye, Gary!” she yells over her shoulder. “It was great to officially meetyou!”

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