Page 27 of Broken Halos
“Sweetheart, I am technically a senior citizen. I have an AARP card to prove it. Don’t try to distract me with sarcasm or sweetness. I’m on a roll this morning.”
“You don’t want me to interrupt you because you’ll forget what you were going to say.”
“This is also true,” Mamma agreed. “Listen, I saw the way his eyes lit up when he saw you, and I saw the way you reacted to him.”
“How was that?”
“Baby, he has a magnetic force field pulling you toward him. I think you were aware you crossed the room to speak to him the first time but not the second. You saw he was stumbling and went to him like it was second nature, and the two of you together are…” Her words faded, and I pictured her fanning her face with her hand. “Gorgeous. Sexy. Right.”
“Mom, we’ve all seen what happens when the moth gets too close to the flame.”
“You’re no moth, so stop insulting yourself. My son is a beautiful, majestic butterfly and Ollie is an exquisite flower where you can safely land. I know you’ve dated some real losers in the past, but Ollie isn’t one of them. Please tell me you can at least see that much.”
“For a minute, I worried you were going to ask if I’ve been sipping Ollie’s nectar.”
“Please,” she said, using the same voice one uses to sayduh, “that’s a foregone conclusion. If it hasn’t happened already, then it will soon.”
I thought of how badly I wanted truly to make him mine when I rolled him beneath me in the center of his bed, but we had things to prove to one another which didn’t involve sex. So, we settled for more making out and more rutting, only naked the second time around. My sticky release mixed with Ollie’s when we finally came. I could’ve lingered in his little house for the rest of the day, but he had things to do before the big gala event at Queen City Divas. Ollie didn’t subscribe to lazy Saturdays like I did. Yet.
I borrowed his kitchen to prepare a nice breakfast while he worked in his small office upstairs. Afterward, we kissed and made out in his oversized recliner some more, neither of us wanting to part ways.
“Earth to Archie,” my mom said in a singsong voice. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here,” I said. “I, um—just checked out for a minute.”
“I bet you did.”
“Mamma,” I said in a warning tone. “Look, I’m not going to deny I’m attracted to Ollie or that I want him to be different than the others. I’m just saying it’s going to take time, and I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“Let me worry about me, Arch. Anyway, while you were daydreaming about Ollie, I asked you if you’d like to go with us to attend his church in the morning.”
“Us? Who is us?”
“Esther, me, and the newest resident at Ryan’s Place. I think Esther said his name is Harry.”
“His name is Henry.” I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the water color painting of Grace Kelly on the opposite wall. “I’m not surprised he wants to attend Ollie’s church. They had an instant connection after I introduced them. Henry needs someone like Ollie in his life after the way his mother and church treated him.”
“Henry is also very lucky to have you, my love. I am so proud of you.”
This was a point of contention between us. I didn’t like her making a fuss about me doing something anyone with compassion and resources should do. Mamma liked to remind me should and would aren’t the same thing, which I knew, of course. Instead of my usual deflection, I said, “Thank you, Mamma.”
“That’s more like it,” she said approvingly. “So, back to my question. Would you like to go to church with us tomorrow morning?”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone to church, well, mass since my mom was raised as a Catholic. She left the church when she was treated like a scarlet woman after leaving her abusive husband, my sperm donor. Apparently, a woman fleeing for her life was somehow more shocking and sinful than her husband beating her. She probably had it coming, right? Hypocritical assholes. I couldn’t say all priests acted as cruelly as hers did when she sought help from him, but it was hard to rinse the bitter taste out of my mouth anytime religion was brought up. I thought my mom felt the same way, but I could hear the excitement in her voice. Had she missed attending services all this time, and I didn’t know it? Or was she excited to see one of Ollie’s sermons.
“Mamma, if this is part of a matchmaking scheme—”
“It’s not,” she said abruptly. “I’m going regardless of if you join me.”
“Can I think about it and let you know in the morning?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I’ll be there at nine to pick up Henry, and you can join us if you wish. Have fun tonight at Queen City Divas.”
“I will.”
“Will Ollie be there too?”
“He will,” I told her. “We’ve got a special gala going on, and Milo is performing.”