Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
My mother gasps as if I’ve just told her that I’m going to start a new career narrating audiobooks, but only if they involve refrigerator smut.
She’s not going to get it unless I go straight to the point that I’ve never been brave enough to circle back around to. Not since the first time I went to her. One glance at Amalphia’s gently encouraging look gives me the courage.
“I wish you would have believed me when I came to you, needing you more than anything. Needing you to be a mother and to see me, hear me, and love me.”
“I protected you!”
“You did, in a way, but you never believed me, and that mattered.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Her brows are sharp enough to cut all the glass in here and send them shattering around our feet in a bunch of brightly lit shards.
“I don’t think I am, but that’s not the conversation we’re having. Amalphia is a beautiful person, so I’m going to ask you once, and once only, to please refrain from making judgments and saying horrible things. I won’t have you or Dad in my life if you both can’t stop being toxic human beings instead of loving parents.”
“Excuse me? Now, listen here, Warrick, I—”
I have to cut her off because she’s not listening. I expected it, but even so, it’s still a horrible feeling to have my heartfelt, extremely hard-won words bounce right off of her like she’s wearing a protective trampoline suit. “Even just regular parents would be alright. I’m exhausted, Mom. I’m tired of being controlled. I don’t feel loved, and half the time, I don’t feel like a part of this family. There’s a lot we have to work on, but we can’t do that if you’re not willing.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” my mother repeats, indicating my coffee mug like it’s the cause of all the world’s wrongs. She quickly changes her mind and snaps her fingers in Amalphia’s direction. “She’s a…a…nothing more than a coochie.”
“I think you mean hussy. This is a coochie.” Amalphia makes a whistling noise as she points down to her jeans and then back up. She can’t control the humor underscoring her tone.
My mother can’t control stamping her foot on the hardwood floor either. “She’s got your head in a mess, just like Candice did when you were sixteen, and look how that ended up.”
I think all three of us knew she was going there. No one’s surprised. “I’m not sixteen anymore, Amalphia isn’t Candice, and it could have all ended up quite differently if only you had just listened and had an ounce of compassion.”
“I listened. We saved you.” Red is the new red when it comes to my mother’s scarlet face. I almost ask her a second time if she’s sure she doesn’t want some coffee.
On that cue, I take a deep pull of my own. Ahhh. The deliciousness hits me, but not as hard as Amalphia’s soft eyes, offering me all the support in the world. They’re like a hug on their own. A silent, it’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.
I really want to get to the point of this so I can wrap. It. Up. “You came to talk about me leaving the company, and my answer isn’t going to change. My notice stands. I want to do something else.”
“What’s more important than carrying on the family business?”
“It will carry on whether I’m there or not. It’s not even anything that’s just in the family anymore. I want to make robot pets for all the kids out there whose parents can’t or won’t get them one. Affordable robot pets.”
“What a calling,” my mother scoffs. She’s getting ready to waggle her eyebrows at me again, so I bury my face in my coffee cup before I respond.
“I’m sure people thought that about Great-Grandpa when he was installing air conditioners and then came up with his own invention.”
“People need air conditioners. They don’t need stupid little robots.”
“We’ll just have to disagree on that. Anyway, I have a workout planned, and I want to have a nice breakfast with my girlfriend before heading into the office to give it my all before I leave. I’m going to have to ask you to head out now.”
I get a whole lot of nostril flaring to go with the eyebrows pretty much reaching the stratosphere, or at least her hairline. “Are you…you can’t be serious. This is not happening!”
“It is, and we’ll talk when you’re ready,” I say.
“I’m ready now.”
“In that case, I should say, ready to be nice.”
If I truly believe there’s hope for Candice, and I want to…for Reginald’s sake, then I have to believe that someday, I might have a better relationship with my parents. I communicate that silently to Amalphia. Her eyes remain as soft as her posture. She didn’t jump straight into defensive mode. She was prepared for this based on what I’d told her about my mom and dad. Of course she knew that yesterday was give my notice day, and if she rehearsed this in her mind, she probably decided that, unfortunately, it couldn’t go any other way.