Page 14 of Until Landon
She grabs him in a side hug, leans her head on his shoulder and pats his chest.
The kid is outgunned. He knows it. Another look shows on Hunter’s face. A softer one. He reaches for my hand this time.
“Glad you were there. Thanks, man.”
There’s an interesting expression on Kim’s face. Think it’s pride he knew to thank me. I guess a parent doesn’t know if their kid absorbs any fucking thing they’re telling them. Not until it shows up naturally, years later.
I’m going to take off,” I say, knowing when to leave. “Nice meeting you, Hunter,” and then turning to her, “Kim, I’ll see you at the clinic this week. Barney needs an attitude adjustment.”
Now the sly grin is for me.
CHAPTERFOUR
Kim
Hunter sets the small microwave on the kitchen counter. I’m not going to look at the petrified food stuck on the door.Mind your business, mama bear.
“I’m taking this in my room.”
“Really? I’ve made space in the pantry.”
“No thanks.”
It takes everything I have not to pass him the sponge. It would take ten seconds to clean that guck. I would have last year. But things are different now and I don’t know what day it happened. Sometime between high school graduation and today, my child quietly became a man. Some of my privileges have been revoked.
“Bing and I are going to take a road trip next month. We’re going to Memphis. There’s a music festival we want to go to.”
“You just got home! Hunter!”
“I know, Mom. I’m not leaving tomorrow. We’re gonna see each other all summer!”
“How can you afford it? I don’t have…”
“I’m going to be working for Mayson Construction. Asher said he’d have jobs for us. Just for a few weeks. You know moving shit around, grunt work. Whatever. It will give us plenty of money for the trip.”
“When did all this happen? You’ve only been home one day!”
“Asher told Bing to send him a text.” He genuinely is looking at me like ‘how else would we do it?’
I choose to ignore the on target insult, because I am slightly unsure of my place. What sort of authority do I have at this stage? Very little. And there is the fact I was married when I was barely older than he is now. Things could be much worse.
“Let’s sleep on it tonight.”
He chuckles. “I don’t have to sleep on it. Don’t worry so much!”
The front of the house is decorated in returning from college for the summer décor. I step over a phonograph atop a box labeledVinyls.
“I don’t remember you taking all this.”
“I didn’t, some I bought there. Here’s my laundry. These two,” he casually adds.
“Youbroughtdirty clothes home?”
He’s looking like I have lost touch with reality. Dark eyebrows come together.
“Well I haven’t mastered the job yet,” he says with an innocent tone. “You’re much better at it, Mom. Do you mind?”
“Oh it’s such a difficult concept,” I say, hand, pitch, and blood pressure rising. “Put clothes in machine, add detergent, press button.”
