Page 38 of What You Own
Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn’t it. “He’s what?”
“He was at the door just now. He’s upset about something, so I took him to your room for some privacy until I could get you.”
“He’s supposed to be at his daddy’s picnic. Something must have happened.” Any number of awful things—including his daddy finding out about us and kicking him out—burst through my mind like a flash flood.
“Go talk to him, honey. I’ll make your excuses.”
“Thanks.” I kissed her on the cheek, then bolted down the hall to my old bedroom.
Adam was sitting on the bed, his back to the wall, knees drawn up to his chest. He blinked at me all deer-in-the-headlights, and my heart twisted. He looked young and vulnerable and unhappy. I shut the door, then gathered him up in my arms. He clung to me, face burrowing against my neck, breathing hard.
I held him, rubbed his back like I’d done so many times before. “What happened?”
“My mom was an alcoholic.” His voice was harsh, broken, like he was about to cry at any moment.
Second on the growing list of things I never thought I’d hear today. “Who told you that?”
“Friend of my mom’s. Slipped out. I think she thought I knew. Maybe I did and I didn’t pay attention.”
“Kids don’t always see the bad things their parents do.”
Adam made a rough noise. “Touché.”
“Oh, baby, I wasn’t talkin’ about your daddy and the bashing.”
“You’re right, though. Maybe I didn’t want to see. I always thought my mom was perfect, but she was so unhappy. She wanted more than she had, and she drowned because she was falling-down drunk.”
Shit.
We sat together awhile, Adam working it out in his head, me being his blanket. Or his rock, or whatever the hell he needed me to be. Finally some good words occurred to me, so I figured I should share. “Doesn’t matter what other people say your momma was, Adam. It only matters how you remember her, and that she loved you. She gave you your love of music, and that’s somethin’ real special.”
Those must have been the right words, because Adam relaxed. His body got loose, and we shifted from me holding him tight to us just hugging.
“Thank you,” he said. “I knew being here… you’d make me feel better.”
His faith in me made my heart give a little leap. “All I want is you happy, babe. That’s all.”
“This makes me happy.”
“Me too.”
Adam’s gentle laughter rumbled through my chest. “I think I gave your mom heart palpitations when she opened the door and saw me on her porch.”
“I bet.” I could just imagine Momma’s face. “And they don’t blame you, you know?”
“They just don’t want me to hurt you again.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, either. Not ever.”
“I know.”
Someone knocked, and then Momma stuck her head inside. “Are you boys okay?”
“Better, thank you,” Adam said. “I’m sorry for interrupting your lunch.”
“Never mind that.” She came over and did something that surprised the crap out of me. She pulled Adam up off the bed and into a fierce hug. “You were Ryan’s first friend here, honey. Despite all that’s happened, you’re still family.”
