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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tom

Since they were both working later that day, Tom and Will agreed to meet at Cuppa Joe’s for breakfast at eight thirty, then walk over to the Cask and Larder to see Mitch and take a look at the apartment.

Tom arrived first—okay, maybe he was just a little excited about the possibility of getting his own apartment—and after ordering a cappuccino and a ham-and-cheese croissant, he snagged a small table along the back wall.

Will walked in a few minutes later, got his own food, and joined Tom, giving him a quick kiss before sitting down. “Are you ready?” he asked, shrugging out of his coat.

“I sure am!” Tom said, practically bouncing in his seat. “Let’s hurry up and eat so we can go.”

Will chuckled and said, “Sure,” before biting into his blueberry-streusel muffin. They scarfed down their food and were soon on their way up the street.

The door to the gourmet food shop was still closed, so Tom knocked, and a moment later, Mitch let them in. “Good morning, guys. Either of you want coffee? I just made a pot.”

“I’m good,” Tom replied.

“No thanks,” said Will.

“Okay, then, follow me.” Mitch led them to a short hallway at the back, where the shop’s restrooms were located. There was a door at the end of the hall marked “Employees Only,” and he opened it. “You can get in from the door out back”—he pointed to an exterior door—“and then head up these stairs. There’s a small parking lot back there that you can use too.”

Once they reached the upper landing, there were two doors. Mitch gestured to the one on the left. “That’s a storage room for the shop. Now let’s see what you’re getting yourself into.” He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door on the right.

The dimly lit room was a combination living and dining area. Tom knew that because he could see a sofa along one wall and a small table with two chairs in the far corner, near what looked like a galley kitchen, separated from the main room by a small island. Mitch went to a set of windows opposite the sofa and opened the vertical blinds, letting in the bright morning sunshine.

A fine layer of dust covered every surface, which Tom had expected, so the condition of the area didn’t dampen his spirits. In addition to the furniture, there were several boxes piled up and a couple of display cases scattered about. “I’ll put the boxes and stuff in the storage room,” Mitch said, looking around. “Hmm, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“This is great,” Tom said excitedly. He maneuvered around a large display case and entered the kitchen. There was a sink and small stove as well as a fridge and some storage cabinets. Not a lot but enough for his needs. Noticing a doorway, he turned and ventured through.

“That’ll be the bedroom and bath,” Mitch called after him.

Will followed, peering into the small bedroom. Tom stood in the doorway to the bathroom, grinning widely. “I’ll take it,” he practically shouted. “When can I start cleaning the place?”

Will laughed and hugged Tom. “Really?”

Mitch joined them in the bedroom and said, “Are you sure?”

“At the price you quoted me yesterday? Absolutely.”

“Okay, then,” Mitch said, holding out his hand. “We have a deal.”

Tom shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you.”

“Just give me a day or so to get this stuff outta here, and then you’ll be good to go. I’ll get you keys for the back door and the apartment door. We should also exchange phone numbers,” Mitch said. “We’ll make this official as of January first, but you’re welcome to start cleaning as soon as you want. Consider the time between now and New Year’s a Christmas gift.”

“Thanks!” Tom said, unable to contain his excitement. “I’m off Thursday this week, so I’ll probably start then if that’s okay.”

“I’m off too,” Will said. “I’ll be here to help out.”

“Thanks, Will. Oh, Mitch, the sofa, table, and chairs look to be in decent shape, so I’ll keep those. I think they just need a good cleaning.” He looked around and chuckled. “Along with everything else.”

“You definitely have your work cut out for you,” Mitch said. “Okay, let’s go downstairs. I’ve got a rental agreement for you to sign if that’s okay. I’m happy this is gonna work out for both of us.”

Tom took one last look around his apartment— Oh my God, I have an apartment! —and followed Mitch and Will down the stairs.

Tom arrived at work early and was hanging his coat in one of the lockers in the staff room when Char waltzed in.

“Hey, Tom,” she said in greeting, giving him a quick hug. “How did it go this morning?” Tom had texted Char the night before to tell her about Mitch’s offer.

“I have an apartment!” Tom laughed, bouncing from foot to foot.

“Oh my God!” Char joined in. “That’s fantastic!”

“It needs a good cleaning,” Tom told her. “Jeez, I’ve never seen that much dirt and dust. But it’s gonna be great.”

“This is so exciting!” Char continued to gush. “You should start a list of things that you’ll need. Furniture, kitchen stuff, towels, sheets; you know, things like that.”

Tom suddenly stopped, dropping onto one of the seldom-used chairs on the other side of the room. “Oh God, there’s so much to think about. So much to do.” He looked up at Char. “Am I stupid for thinking I can actually do this?”

“Of course not,” she said seriously. “And you’re not doing it alone. Cee Cee and I will help any way we can. And I’m sure Will feels the same way.”

“He does, actually.” Tom’s face lit up. “He came with me this morning, and we’re both off on Thursday, so we’re gonna start cleaning. Oh, and there’s already a couch and a small dining table with two chairs in the apartment that Mitch said I could have, so that’s a few less things I need to get.”

“Cool. Cee Cee and I are both working Thursday, so we can’t help, but I’m sure we’ll be there with you before too long. And I’ll ask around to see if anyone has any furniture or cookware and stuff that they’re either tossing or selling cheaply. You’ll have everything you need before you know it.”

“Thanks, Char. What would I do without you?”

“Don’t even say that in jest. Together forever, remember?” she chided him.

“Oh shit,” Tom groaned, shaking his head.

“What?”

“Now I gotta tell Mom,” he choked out, staring at his feet.

Char put her hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you can do this. Besides, she already knows that you’re planning on moving out, so it won’t be as big of a shock to her, right?”

Tom sighed.

“I didn’t say it would be easy,” Char admitted. “And it will probably get a little ugly, but ultimately, it’s gonna be okay.”

Tom pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine, and sat in his truck for a few minutes. He chewed at his bottom lip, thinking about what would happen when he told his mom that he had found an apartment and was definitely moving out. Well, better get this over with.

His mom was washing a few dishes at the kitchen sink when he walked in. “Hi, sweetie. How was work today?”

“Okay. Typical day. Steady.”

“That’s good. Dinner’s in the oven. Should be ready in about half an hour. I made a cottage pie,” she told him, drying her hands on a yellow dish towel.

“Um, Mom, we need to talk.”

“Of course, Tommy. What’s wrong? Oh, did that boy Will dump you? I told you it?—”

“No, Mom, that’s not it,” he interrupted. “Will and I are still seeing each other.”

“It’s not work, is it? Your boss wouldn’t let you go. He knows you’re one of the best workers he has.”

“No, Mom, it’s about what we talked about a couple of weeks ago. About my getting my own place.”

“Oh, Tom, I thought we went over this. It’s not the right time. Do you have any idea how much an apartment is going to cost?” Alice spoke rapidly as if that would make it all go away somehow. “You just wait, and we’ll talk about this after your next semester. Summer’s a much better time to think about things like this.”

“Mom, listen to me,” Tom said, staring into her eyes. “I looked at a place this morning before I started work. It’s small but nice. And it’s right in town, so I could walk to work if I wanted. Plus, it’s cheaper than what I thought I’d have to pay.”

“I see.” Alice’s face was blank. “So … it’s like I said, you’re gonna leave me too. Am I that bad of a person that you can’t stand to be around me either?” Her shoulders shook, and Tom saw a tear slowly slide down her cheek. “What’s wrong with me that everyone wants to get away from me as fast as they can?” Her voice broke.

“Oh, Mom!” Tom wrapped his arms around her. “Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re a good person with a good heart.” He paused, wondering if he should say what had been lurking in his brain for a while. Well, might as well just rip that bandage all the way off. “It’s just that you’ve let what happened between you and Dad affect everything else in your life. You’ve never let go of that, Mom.” She sobbed into his shoulder, and he just held her.

Eventually, she pulled away and looked up at him from red-rimmed eyes. “What are you saying, Tom? Let go of what?”

“The hate, Mom. The hate that’s been festering for almost twenty years. Dad’s gone; he’s not coming back. For all we know, he could be dead, but you just go on hating him and believing that because your marriage didn’t work out, no relationship can ever work. And what’s the second thing you said, after trying to convince me to stay? That something must be wrong with you if everyone in your life leaves.” Tom tried to keep the anger out of his voice, hoping that his mom might finally understand what he was trying to say. “Did you ever stop and think that maybe Dad was at fault? Maybe there was something wrong with him, and that’s why things didn’t work out between the two of you? I love you, Mom, but you’ve got to stop thinking this way.”

“I just don’t …” Alice paused as if finally letting the words sink in. “I’ve felt like this for so long, Tommy. What am I gonna do now?”

“Did you ever consider seeing someone to talk about these feelings?” Tom asked quietly.

“I don’t know …” She trailed off.

“Just think about it, Mom. Now I’m gonna go wash up, and then we can sit down and eat. You know how much I like your cottage pie.”