“With Pip as my sister, I have tons of experience curbing murderous tendencies,” Auden declared.
“With Auden as my brother, I have more,” Pip added irately.
“Wonderful. I’ll wake up to my house as I like it and not the aftermath of a blood bath,” I said while walking in front of the couch and stopping. “Now, hugs for your mom who had a rough night seeing as you could be eighty and give me hugs and that’d fortify me through anything.”
To my delight, neither hesitated before they got up and gave me hugs.
Pippa’s was tight and swift.
Auden’s was longer and included a kiss on the cheek.
As they settled back in, I wandered away, the quake inside gone, good to get in my bathtub, soak, finish my wine and wait for Mickey’s call.
I did my wandering, saying, “Don’t stay up much longer.”
“Won’t, Mom,” Auden replied.
“Going to bed soon,” Pippa told me.
“Okay, kids, ’night.”
I got return “’nights.” I walked to my room. I took my bath. I sipped my wine. I did both of these extremely glad that night was over and proud of myself that I’d found it in me to hold myself together.
Out of the bath, I lotioned and put a spritz of perfume, a pair of fleecy yoga pants, a shelf-bra camisole and a cardigan that was soft and pretty but was also warm.
I lit my fire, got my book, set my phone on the side table and was about to lay on the daybed snuggled under my afghan waiting for Mickey’s call when my eyes drifted to the door.
Mickey was fine. The night went well. All my loved ones were safe.
But one thing happened that night that was niggling me, and after the success of the evening, my kids showing they were good kids, I thought it might be time to do something about it.
I walked out of my room and down the hall to see the living room dark, the TV off.
I kept walking and saw no light coming from under Pippa’s door.
But there was one coming from under Auden’s.
I knocked softly at my son’s door and called, “Hey, kid, you still up?”
“Yeah, come in, Mom,” he called back.
I opened the door, took a step in and stopped.
I had not found a cleaning lady yet because I still was enjoying the feeling of accomplishment when I cleaned my own house.
But with the kids back, I enjoyed it more, picking up rooms they’d made their own because they spent time in them.
Auden’s bed worked much better no longer against the side wall but the back wall and facing his windows to the sea. He had band posters up plus blood-guts-and-glory type inspirational posters, these he’d started putting up years ago, I suspected to psych him up constantly, if sometimes subconsciously, to be a good competitor.
He needed to tidy. He was like his dad dropping his clothes everywhere. And there was tons of stuff all over his dresser, his desk. This I never touched, thinking he probably knew how to find whatever he needed. But it was a sixteen-year-old boy’s room, lived in and Auden’s, even if it was that in a multi-million dollar show home.
I liked this.
But I was hesitant about the conversation we needed to have.
“Everything cool, Mom?” he asked, prompting me out of my study of his room, and I gave my attention to him.
He was across the room, standing in his pajamas but he had his tablet in his hand, and when I’d opened the door, he’d been sticking his headphones in it.
“Just wanted to bend your ear a second about something that’s troubling me,” I told him.
“What?” he asked.
I stepped in, shut the door and leaned into it. “What’s your read on Polly?”
His face went guarded.
“I’m not being—” I started to assure him quickly.
“She’s a phase,” he cut me off to say.
“I’m sorry?”
“For Pip. She’s not Pippa’s normal kind of friend. But Polly knows everybody. She’s real social. Big on that. And Pip coming to a new school, Polly latched on. Pip having money and nice clothes and being pretty and stuff…” he trailed off and shrugged, though he didn’t need to finish that, I knew what he was saying. Then he continued, “I think she’s a phase.”
“So you don’t care for her all that much,” I guessed.
“Won’t have to think anything once Pip finds her place in high school and Polly’s history.”
That was his hope.
He did not like Polly.
It was also my hope because as awful as it was to say, I didn’t either.
I nodded. “Okay, Auden. I didn’t want to put you on the spot but I also got the sense she wasn’t Pippa’s kind of friend. That said, it’s clear Pip likes spending time with her so I didn’t want to bring it up with your sister and upset her.”
He nodded too. “Yeah. But we’re just back at school, Mom. Freshmen settle in. She’ll find it.”
“Okay, kid,” I replied.
“Don’t worry. Pip’s a good girl. It’ll turn out okay.”
I loved my son.
I smiled. “You’re right. It will. But mothers worry.”
He smiled back. “Well, you can stop worrying about that.”
Very, very much loved my son.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to your music.”
“Right, Mom. ’Night.”
“’Night, kiddo.”
I gave him another smile before I went out the door, closed it behind me and walked back to my room.
Feeling better about all that, only then did I settle into my daybed to read and wait for Mickey’s call.
* * * * *
My body jolted as my cell rang.
I sat up, my book crashing to the floor, and snatched the phone up.
“Hey,” I said into it.
“Hey back,” Mickey replied. “Almost on our street.”
“Okay, honey, I’ll be over at your place. Quick kiss then you can hit the sack.”
“See you there.”
We rang off and I stared a little guiltily at the fire I’d left burning and fell asleep in front of (though, who would have imagined I could ever fall asleep waiting for Mickey coming back after fighting a fire). I shut off the gas, waited for the flame to die out then slid my feet into my slippers that looked like they were made of sweater material, with sequins on the knit and a fluffy trim of fake fur. They were warm but they also had a plastic sole with traction.
Then I took off, dashing down the hall and out the front door.
I slowed my step as I made my way down the walk.