JON
“So, I guessI’llstop at the grocery store on my way to your apartment,” my mother said, as sheushered my two youngest daughters, Shelly and Annabel, toward the door. “Isthere anything you have a craving for?”
I shifted uncomfortablyfrom one foot to the other. “No, Mom. I’m fine. Thanks.”
She looked over hershoulder and took a long, hard look at my face. “Are you eating?”
“Yes,” I groaned arounda huffed sigh.
Mom turned to eye myoldest daughter, sitting at the bar and badgering her uncle. “Lilly, is yourfather eating?”
“She’s not going tothrow me under the bus, Mom,” I grumbled under my breath.
“I don’t know. Alittle, I guess,” Lilly responded, and I shook my head.
“Whose side are you on,Lil?” I growled in her direction, and she shot an apologetic look my way as shehopped off her barstool and headed to the door.
“You need to eat,” Mompressed, and I rolled my eyes.
“I know. That’s why Ido.”
She eyed me withskepticism and tugged Shelly and Annabel along with her. “Jeffrey, make sureyour brother eats dinner tonight.”
Jeff lifted a hand in awave. “You got it, Mom. See you tomorrow.”
I hurried to keep upwith my mother and daughters, and before they could walk out into the parkinglot, I crouched to the floor and stretched out my arms. “Okay, ladies. Give mea hug.”
The trio turned and nestledagainst me, kissed my cheek and pulled away, despite my reluctance to let go.Shelly and Annabel reached to grasp my mother’s hands, and I smiled with prideat how well behaved they always were.
You’dbe proud, babe.
“Now, I’m not saying towait up for me, butifyou’re awake,I’ll read to you when I get home, okay?” I winked, and they grinned. “Be goodfor Grandma.”
With smiles and onefinal reminder from my mother that I needed to eat to survive, she opened thedoor. The day’s final shred of sunlight stretched across the floor of theotherwise dark club. I stood in the center of its warmth, feeding for just amoment on the energy I seldom felt myself. Then, as the door shut behind them,it was gone, and I was left in the dark once again.
“She’s killing me,” Imuttered, turning to my brother.
Jeff barked with alaugh and countered, “She’s just worried about you.”
I snorted as I headedtoward the bar. “Well, it’d be nice if she could worry in a, uh, less annoyingkind of way. She doesn’t need to remind me toeat.”
Before I could pull mybackpack off the bar, I didn’t miss the hint of concern in my brother’s gaze. Iwas all too familiar with that look, but it never got easier. To see the pityin other’s eyes. Their sympathy and worry. In a way, I’d come to expect it overthe years, but it didn’t make me any less sick of seeing it.
To divert hisattention, I threw in, “Just last night, she told me she had set me up on oneof those dating apps. She’d been swiping left all darn night—or is it right?”
“I think it’s right.”
“Okay, well, in anycase, that’s what she’s been doing. Told me she was collecting all the women shethought would be good for me.” I unzipped my backpack as I pulled in a heavybreath. “She doesn’t know when to back off, man.”
Jeff snorted and shookhis head. “Yeah, well, remember after Laura and I got divorced? And Mom told meshe wasgonnafind a woman moresuitablefor me?”
“Oh, God, yeah,” Ilaughed, nodding as I pulled out some chord charts. “I guess it’s my turn now.”
“Lucky you,” hechuckled. “Speaking of Laura, she came by earlier today before you got here.She’s got afreakin’ date tonight. Can you believethat shit?”
My brother and hisex-wife had gotten divorced a little over three years ago. He swore it was anew beginning, swore he was free of “the bitch,” and yet, nearly every daysince the papers had been signed and initialed, he’d found some way to bringher up.
“Uh-huh,” I muttered.“Maybe youcouldbenefit from a dateonce in a while.”
