10. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
B y the end of the week, Maureen tried to resume some normalcy. Allan had booked the time off work for the conference, so he would spend the day at the hospital. But she had two clients to meet, and she wanted to cook some dinner. They hadn’t seen much of Lance and Ashley over the last few days, as all their time was spent up at the hospital. What was the saying? The child that was suffering the most got the most attention? Or there was the one about only being as happy as your unhappiest child. It seemed to her that both applied.
She’d made a ham for dinner with a candy glaze just like her mother used to make, using toothpicks to secure maraschino cherries and pineapple rings to the outside of the ham. There were mashed potatoes and green beans to go along with it.
The four of them sat down to dinner. Maureen hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she put a forkful into her mouth. For the past three days, she hadn’t had a proper meal .
“What’s going to happen with Everett?” Ashley asked, cutting her ham into pieces.
“We’re trying to convince him to go to rehab.” Maureen helped herself to another spoonful of green beans. “But he’s convinced he can do it himself. He’ll probably come home here.”
A cloud of silence fell over them for a few minutes, the only sounds being the noise of cutlery.
Allan looked at Lance and Ashley. “Are either one of you doing drugs? Be honest. Your mother and I would like to know.”
Ashley was offended. “No, Dad!”
Lance looked up from his plate at his father. “No. Honest.”
“That’s a relief.”
After the dishes were cleared, Maureen brought over a cheesecake she’d picked up at the supermarket and sliced it up, plating four pieces and passing them around. Seated, she forked off a piece and popped it into her mouth.
Looking over at Lance, she asked, “Are you going back on Saturday?” The plan for Lance’s return to college had been vague at best.
He shrugged. “I think so.”
She felt bad that she’d hardly spent any time with him during his spring break.
“It won’t be long before finals,” Allan said, scraping the last bit of cheesecake off his plate.
Lance looked up at the ceiling. “May sixteenth. My last final. Hallelujah.”
“See, you got through your first year.” Maureen smiled encouragingly at him. Lance had never been keen on school. “I told you the four years would fly by. They did for me.”
“Sorry, Mom, but it’s dragging for me.”
“I can’t wait to go away to college,” Ashley said excitedly.
Lance rolled his eyes. “That’s because you’re weird.”
Ashley stuck her tongue out at him.
“I rest my case.” Lance put a forkful of cheesecake into his mouth.
Maureen took her plate of half-eaten dessert and handed it to Lance. “Pass this to your father.” She’d eaten too much ham and mashed potatoes. Despite the lovely meal, worry began to sink in about Everett and what it would be like with him living at home.