Page 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Tom

When Tom pulled into the driveway that night, he was surprised to see that his mom wasn’t home yet. She’d gotten out of work over an hour ago, and if she were running late for some reason, she’d usually let him know.

Before even getting out of his truck, he quickly sent her a text.

Everything okay? Just got home, and you’re not here.

He went upstairs to shower and change—he and Will had managed to get pretty dirty cleaning the apartment—and then heard his phone buzz.

Sorry, sweetie. Be home shortly. I’ll explain when I get there.

Relieved that everything seemed to be okay, he finished dressing and headed to the kitchen. Just as he opened the refrigerator door to grab something to drink, the back door opened.

“Hey, Mom,” he said, turning. “How are you?”

“I’m good, Tommy. I thought about telling you that I’d be late today, but I wanted to see how it went before I said anything.” She placed a familiar flat square box on the table and hung up her coat. “I got us pizza for dinner. I’ll tell you where I was while we eat.”

Tom took a couple of cans of diet soda from the fridge while Alice grabbed plates from the cabinet.

“Mmm, pepperoni and black olive.” Tom sighed contentedly. “My favorite.”

“With extra cheese,” Alice said. “Do I know my boy or what?”

“Thanks, Mom,” Tom replied, starting in on his first slice.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said when you told me you were moving out,” Alice began. “About always blaming myself for my failed marriage and not letting go.” She sipped her beverage and shook her head. “You’re right. I was putting it all on me, and it clouded my judgment.”

“I’m sorry, Mom …”

“No, you were right, and I’m glad you finally said something. I, well, I never wanted to hurt you, Tom. Part of my twisted brain thought I was helping you. But that’s another topic for another time. Like I said, I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I called the HR Department at work. One of the benefits they have is counseling services, so I made an appointment. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to see someone so quickly, but they had a cancellation. I had my first meeting with a therapist today. That’s why I was late.”

“That’s great, Mom.” Tom hesitated, unsure if he should say more. Deciding, he went on, “How’d it go?”

“Good, actually. We didn’t get into too much detail yet—it was hard to talk about some of these things to a stranger—but I think it’s going to be okay. I felt really good about everything by the time the hour was up.”

“I’m happy for you, Mom. All I want is for you to feel better about yourself and your life.”

“Thanks, sweetheart. And I want to say I’m sorry for holding you back for so long. I’m still not happy that you’re leaving, but I guess I understand why you need to do it.”

“I promise, I’ll see you all the time. After all, I still wanna come over for dinner so I can eat your chicken pot pie and cottage pie.”

Alice smiled and threw a piece of pizza crust at him.

Tom grinned.

Tom was in bed reading that night when a text popped up on his phone. It was Char, asking if he was still awake. When he said he was, his phone immediately rang.

“Hi, Char.”

“So how was cleaning day? Did you and Will try out the shower after getting all sweaty?” she purred.

“Cleaning went really well, and no, we didn’t shower together,” Tom replied in mock exasperation. He knew her well enough to know that Char was just busting his balls.

“Well, that’s no fun,” she retorted.

“But hopefully that will happen at some point,” Tom said, giving her something. After all, he and Will had done a few things so far, and he definitely wanted more. “Anyway, we got a lot done, and I’ll probably be able to move in by the first of the year. Or right after. I still need to get a few things for the place.”

“You really need to make a list of things you need and share it with Will and me. Then we can add stuff you forget and cross things off as we find stuff.”

“You mentioned that once before, and it’s actually a great idea,” Tom said. “I’ll start on one tomorrow.”

“So …” Char started. Tom could hear hesitation in her voice. “How’s your mom doing with all this?”

“Believe it or not, she’s handling it pretty well. She’s started seeing a counselor. Her first appointment was today after work. We talked a little about it at dinner. For the first time, she’s acknowledging that there’s a problem, and she seems to want to fix it.”

“Oh, Tom, that’s great!” Char gushed. “And frankly, it’s about fucking time.”

“I know. I wish I’d had the guts to say something to her a long time ago, but at least she’s doing it now.”

“What’s past is past, hon. I’m just happy things are starting to go your way.”

“Me too, Char.”

Tom, Will, Char, and Cee Cee sat together at a table toward the back of Cuppa Joe’s. It was the week before Christmas, and the place was quite busy for a Tuesday afternoon.

The four of them had spent most of the day at Tom’s new apartment, cleaning a little more and organizing things. Earlier in the week, Char had searched the online bulletin board at Quincy College and found some small appliances and other kitchen items that Tom could use. True to his word, Mitch had delivered the area rug from Muriel’s basement. And Will had told Tom about the tables and microwave, which they’d picked up a few days ago using Tom’s truck. The place was really shaping up.

Tom had searched the classified ads and bought a used bed frame and matching chest of drawers along with a nightstand to furnish his bedroom. That was followed by a trip to a big-box store for a new mattress.

“Thank you all for helping me out with all of this.” Tom raised his cup of hot chocolate. “I don’t know how any of this would have happened without your assistance.”

“We were happy to do it,” Cee Cee said. “After all, you lent a hand when Char and I moved into our place. It’s only fair that we help you.”

“Well, I appreciate it.”

“Have you decided exactly when you’ll move in?” Char asked.

“Since everything’s going along faster than I expected, I think I’ll officially make the move just before New Year’s. Seems like a nice way to mark a new beginning,” Tom told them. “Plus, it means I’ll be there before the new semester starts on January third.”

“Any reason why you don’t wanna do it sooner?” Char asked. “After all, the place is pretty much ready at this point.”

“I know, but I really don’t want Mom to be alone in her house for Christmas,” Tom admitted. “I thought it might be a little easier if I hung around until the following week.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Will said.

“Well,” Char started, “you could always try out the bed before that. Perhaps an early Christmas present?” She waggled her eyebrows.

“You’re a goof, you know that, right?” Tom laughed.

“Hey, I just want my best friend to get some before the holidays!” Char replied.

“Actually,” Tom continued, heat rising in his cheeks, “Will and I have already talked about it, and we’re planning a little New Year’s Eve celebration at the apartment. Just the two of us.”

“Whoop!” Char exclaimed. “That sounds perfect.”