Page 105 of Blossoms of the Heart
That was almost a given.
* * *
“Mom, hey. How are you?”
“Phoebe I’ve been so worried, you didn’t answer any of my calls.”
Since we spoke last week and she was talking about reasoning with Jason about the lake house I’d avoided her calls.
“I’ve been busy and the time zone doesn’t really work does it?”
“It’s super early here.”
“Thanks for calling.”
There was always this air of anticipation when we spoke. It was almost always guaranteed that she’d say something to upset me.
“Of course I would call. Phoebe you’re in Japan by yourself, I always worry when you go so far away.”
“I’m with Akito I’m fine. Mitsuke’s here too.” An idea came to my head. Just popped in there. What would she think of Tai now? Tai had served in the Marines for eight years. He was a lieutenant. Surely she’d have some respect. “Tai’s here too.” I offered off -handishly.
“Who?”
“Tai Ferreira, Akito’s nephew. You remember him right?”
Her tension gripped me from here and I heard a sigh.
“Oh, him.” Flat cold, no emotion. It was clear that she remembered and clear what she thought. But I wanted to prod further.
“He just came back from the Marines.”
“God, I still can’t believe they allowed someone like him to join.”
“What do you mean?” I straightened up and brought my knees up to my chest.
“Well dear, maybe you we’re too young to remember what that ill-fated boy used to get up to. Completely unambitious and unsavory. I can just imagine him being some sort of jarhead. Thank God they let him go.”
Jesus Christ I had to stand. What a complete insult.
“Mom. That is highly offensive. Tai left the Marines on his own accord, he was a lieutenant.”
“Oh Phoebe you wear your heart on your sleeve and don’t see people for who they are. That was probably the only thing he had going for him in life.”
“Tai has a business degree. He practically runs the center with Akito. What is wrong with you? Why would you say such things?”
“Nothing is wrong with me. I’m just going on memory. I don’t exactly have fond memories of someone who tried to defile my daughter. God, thank heavens I intervened when I did or else you could have ended up with someone like him, probably pregnant and a single mother at eighteen.”
“I can’t believe you. Do you think who I ended up with was better?”
“Of course. Phoebe, Jason is the Governor of Illinois. Think, if we were talking about a resume. Yours would be outstanding. You can hold your head high and say that you were married to someone of noble social status.”
Maybe I’d fallen asleep and landed in hell because she couldn’t really think that.
“You think my life is a resume?” I shook my head even though I knew she couldn’t see me.
“It kind of is. I don’t mean it in the literal sense but we all talk about what we’ve done, what we’ve accomplished. You can be proud when you tell people you were married to the Governor of Illinois. I don’t know how you can’t see that.”
“Mom, I’m not proud I married Jason. He cheated on me. If it wasn’t for him I would never have been in that accident.”
