Page 64 of No More Hiding
“What you’re really lucky about is that she didn’t make a mess on the bed or the floor.”
“She’s house trained now. She’s a good dog.”
“I’m so glad your sister talked me into getting Sammie for you.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to say something about Maureen and Rob, but he decided against it. He wasn’t awake enough to have this conversation and wasn’t sure he wanted it.
His mother had no problem sharing things in her life, but he’d never been that way. He’d like to think this was something he could hold onto for himself.
“It’s working out,” he said.
What more could he say as he watched his dog run out and do her business, then come back in and sit by her food bowl. She ate when he did, but if she did this, that meant she was hungry so he fed her and started the coffee to wake his butt up.
“That’s good. How are things going with you and Vivian? What a lovely young woman.”
He snorted. “She is. They are going well, I guess.”
“You guess? What does that mean?”
“It means they are going well. I don’t know. It hasn’t been two months yet, but we have fun together though we don’t see each other daily.”
“The fact she still wants to see you and talk to you is more than enough.”
His mother was laughing. “That’s not nice to say about your son.”
“I know my son well, which is why I’m saying it. Thanksgiving is still a month away, but we’d love to have her if she isn’t going to be with her family. Or are you going to do something with them?”
“She doesn’t have any family that I’m aware of, or not locally,” he said. “And we haven’t talked about it yet. As you said it’s a month away.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t have any family?”
He was wishing the coffee would brew faster so he could take a hit of caffeine. “What part of no family don’t you understand? Her mother died when she was a teen and her grandparents raised her after. They passed a few years ago.”
“No father?” her mother asked.
“None that she has talked about. She says she’s alone. She’s not from around here.”
“Where is she from?” his mother asked. “I guess I just assumed she was from the area.”
“She moved here from Chicago a few years ago.”
“Hmm. That’s sad. I don’t think I know anyone that is completely alone with no family.”
He didn’t need this from his mother. All it was doing was teasing his urge to dig a little when he had to keep telling himself not to.
He had to do what Rob said; he had to ask if he wanted to know.
“Now you do,” he said. “And I have to go shower now and get to work or do you need to plan Christmas and Easter too?”
“Don’t be a wiseguy. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye,” he said and hung up, then looked at Sammie as she had her face buried in her bowl of food. He might as well eat too while he was standing here. Then he’d check in with Vivian like he normally did at some point during the day.
They had a routine that he liked.
They weren’t crowding each other, but they didn’t go so long without any communication either. He couldn’t say he’d been that way with anyone since Maureen died and wondered if it did mean a lot more than he was willing to admit.
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