Page 46 of Emergency Exit
“She practically said her son can’t sing!”
“He probably can’t. He’s only in third grade. It would be amiracle if he could carry a tune in a bucket.”
“Yeah, but she can’t say that!”
“Why not?”
“She’s his mom!”
Josh seemed quite upset, and Harper still wasn’t sure why.
“And then that crack about getting up early? What was that?”
“I hate getting up early, too,” said Harper. “Do you like it? Are you a morning person?”
“Well, no, but she’s his mom!”
Harper grabbed at the hood of her rain jacket as a gust of wind tried to blow it back. She felt like Josh meant something other than what he was saying.
“I think this is one of those cultural things that Piper was talking about,” said Harper.
“What?”
“Piper told me this story about her mom, and I think we’re having a communication difficulty because I don’t understand what her being his mother has to do with her enjoying getting up early or listening to him sing.”
“Moms are supposed to love all that stuff.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Harper. “I mean, I’m not a parent, but I wouldn’t think becoming one would make me suddenly tone deaf and like getting up early.”
“My mom did!” snapped Josh. “She always loved all my band performances from when I was ten to now.”
“Well, yes, but that’s probably because she loves you, not because she thought all of your performances were that great.”
They reached the door to the pub, and Harper looked over at Josh as she reached for the door handle. He looked upset.
“I mean… You were ten. You probably didn’t start off playing well.”
“I played great,” he snapped and walked through the door ahead of her.
Harper followed him inside, but Josh quickly cut through the crowd without waiting for her, and when they reached the table, she saw that he’d taken the last good seat and left her to crowd into the awkward chair in the middle. She couldn’t help thinking that Ash wouldn’t have done that.
Harper managed to wedge in between Piper and Denise, the Project Manager, and realized she would be leaving soon. The voices created an overwhelming din, and the fries would not be good enough to compensate.
“Hey,” said Piper, leaning in to yell-talk at a volume that was only understandable to them. Then she glanced across the table where Josh was trying to flag down a waitress. “Everything OK?”
“I think I offended Josh by suggesting that his mother loved him but probably didn’talwaysthink his musical performances were stellar.”
Piper burst out laughing.
“I’m really not sure why that’s upsetting,” said Harper, scratching her head. “I mean, nobody starts off playing any instrument beautifully.”
“Yeah, but see, the thing is that sometimes boys never stop believing when their mom tells them they’re wonderful.”
“Well, I’m sure he was wonderful for a ten-year-old. It’s always great to see a kid progress, but it doesn’t mean his mom loved every second of listening to a ten-year-old learn the guitar.”
“Boys expect women to lie,” said Piper.
“No, that doesn’t work out,” Harper said. “If they know it’s a lie, then Josh knows I’m right.”
