Page 67 of Maybe Some Other Time

“With that girl, Emma.”

“I see. So, it’s just me.” There were a few things Thelma could whip up for herself. Nothing exciting. Unless she wanted a ton of leftovers for the next day… “That’s fine. You have fun tonight.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Who are you going with? Anybody I know?”

He slammed a particular bill down on the table. “You sound just like you did when talking to him.”

Thelma kept her cool as she asked, “Who?”

“You know.Dad.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know! You’d nag him every Thursday night when he was talking about why he’d be home late Friday. He’d go drinking with his coworkers, come home drunk as a louse, and need your help getting to bed. You thought I didn’t know about it, but I did. Could hear the ruckus every time.”

Thelma sighed. “Oh. To be fair, your father wasn’t everquiteso drunk that he couldn’t get up the stairs without help. But he did like to have a drink with the boys at the end of the week. Most of the husbands did on our street. Some of them joined him, you know."

Robbie leaped up from the table as soon as she sat down. This, too, wasn’t unusual.He can’t stand to sit near me for too long.Not unless they were actively doing something, like going to the store or making dinner.

“I’m heading out.”

Thelma turned in her seat, watching him leave the kitchen. “There’s something I need to talk to you about first!”

He stopped, but didn’t face her.

“Next week, my therapist, Ms. Myers, wants you to come with me. She says it would do us good to talk this animosity between us through in a safe but mediated space.”

He glared at her from over his shoulder. “You’re talking to the damn shrink about me?”

“I talk to her about everything going on in my life. And you’re one of the things going on in my life!”And I just started a sentence with a conjunction because of you!She kept that part to herself. “Please, Rob. I think it would do us good. This is a lot forbothof us to handle!”

“You seem to be handling it just fine.”

“Dare you believe I actually am? Robbie, I’m dealing with life as God throws His curveballs. Speaking of which, Pastor Liz wants you to…”

“Oh, no, I ain’t going to church.” Robbie stumbled as he attempted to quickly pivot toward his mother. “You got that? No church.”

Thelma folded her hands in her lap. “Fine. You’re a grown man, and you can decide if you want to go to church or not.”

“Damn straight. Been working out just fine for forty years!”

Sure, Rob.“Tell you what. I will never bring up church like that again if you promise to come to therapy next week.”

He looked like he had been tricked into this whole conversation. “I can’t believe you…”

“That’s the deal, Rob.”

“Can’t believe it. All these years later, like a damnghost,you come screaming out of the past to make me do shit again!”

“Could you please watch your language for two seconds? I am your mother.”

“Oh, yeah? Whose mother is forty years younger than them?”

“Someone whose mother was just living her life when she traveled through time!”

“And who the hell doesthat?”