Chapter Two
Oliver
I’m sitting at the breakfast bar in my modern, barely used kitchen finishing my morning toast when I get a call from my agent. Can’t this man take a day off? It’s Saturday for goodness’ sake. As Frank starts droning on with my latest crime novel release figures, my mind drifts to the girl, Ally, from the coffee shop. She didn’t introduce herself, but I heard her friend say her name as we looked her over. She was so cute with that dazed look on her face. I wanted to walk her home to make sure she was okay since she wasn’t making any sense, but it looked like her friend wanted to take care of her. I didn’t want to come across as a stalker, so I stepped aside. I could kick myself for not getting her number, but it didn’t seem like the right time for introductions. I can’t believe that having practically lived at Joe’s since I moved to the city I haven’t seen her before. Maybe it’s because I usually stay in the back with the rest of the techies typing away on my latest novel.
“Sales are looking great as always,” Frank says.
“Good, let’s keep it that way. It was a long time coming, and I want to stay where I am,” I respond, coming back to the present and focusing on the conversation.
“I like you on top.”
“Frank! I don’t think it’s wise for us to have that type of relationship,” I jest.
“I meant on top of the sales charts,” he corrects.
“I’m glad you cleared that up,” I continue to tease him, knowing my straitlaced agent is now all flustered.
“Now, what’s up next for you?” he says, changing the subject.
“I just wrapped up my current manuscript and sent it to the editor and am mapping out the next one in the series. Since we have a buffer, I’ll probably take a mini break this weekend and read for fun, then get back to it.”
“Great. We can’t get behind.”
“I’m aware. And you know that pressuring me makes my brain seize up and no words enter of any kind.”
“I know, I just like to know where you are on your schedule so I can keep my own on track. Have a good weekend, and I’ll bug you again in a few weeks.”
“Looking forward to it,” I deadpan and disconnect.
Frank is a good agent but I’m also a good client who doesn’t need a lot of handholding. I know my schedule and how many words I have to knock out each day to make it happen.
In an effort to make the most of this weekend, I pull up the schedule for Finnegan’s and notice that my favorite acoustic guitar duo will be playing tonight. Since I have plenty of time before then, I decide to take a quick trip out of the city to visit my mom.
*
“Mom?” I callas I enter my childhood home without knocking. The smell of home-cooked meals and Mom’s gardenia perfume has settled into its bones and brings back memories of my happy childhood as I inhale the scents. All the oversized, bulky furniture, complete with Dad’s blue Lazy-Boy chair, are still in the same position. Vacuum marks on the plush tan carpet confirm that Mom still does her nightly ritual of vacuuming before bed to keep everything clean and tidy.
“Oliver? Is that you?” I hear from some far corner of the house.
“Where are you?” I ask.
“Basement! Come down and see this.” I set the lilies I brought her on the kitchen counter and walk down the steps.
“What are you doing down here?” I ask as I step off the last step into the finished club basement.
“I’m putting a shower in the bathroom.”
“What? By yourself?” I ask aghast as I meet her at the bathroom door.
“Sure, why not?”
“Why not? Because taking a few classes at Home Depot does not make you a certified plumber.”
“Ha ha, Mr. Funnypants. I had Tom run the pipes, I just need to put in the stall and then retile the floor. Easy peasy. Actually, while you’re here, help me line it up to the pipes he installed.” I do as I’m told. “There, that’s perfect, now I can just seal it all up and do the floor and be all set. Maybe I’ll repaint. What do you think?”
“I think that I don’t know why you are doing all this.”
“In case I have guests,” Mom explains as her eyes roam the walls and ceiling. I can tell the wheels are spinning in her head trying to decide on a color.
“How many guests do you expect when you have a full bath upstairs they can use?”
“You never know. Family, friends…in-laws…grandchildren. A mother needs to be prepared for anything.” She twirls her hands in the air as she lists the possibilities.
“Mother.”
She holds onto my shoulder as she looks me in the eye.
“Oliver. Honestly, how have you not met a nice girl living in that big city?”
“Maybe because I live the life of a reclusive writer?” I shrug.
“Oh, how I wish your brother were here to get you out more. I need grandbabies to spoil.”
“Do you give Ty the same amount of flack?” I ask folding my arms across my chest.
“Of course, I do. You know your father and I loved you both evenly, so therefore, I nag evenly.” She hugs me. “But seriously, make sure you get out and have fun and experience life a bit. You never know when you’ll run into a nice girl to bring home.”
“Well, I am going to a bar tonight.”
“Ah, perfect. Make sure to bring me back a daughter-in-law.”
“I’ll do my best, Mom.”
If my mom was as worried about her own propensity for disaster as much as she was about me finding her a daughter-in-law, I wouldn’t have to worry about turning gray early. I love my mom, I do, but if the misshapen shrubs and crooked pole of the mailbox in front of the house are any proof of her inability to complete home repairs, that is just the beginning, and I’m crossing my fingers that bathroom remodeling is where she actually excels.
“Good. Now, follow me upstairs so I can feed you before you go.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I follow Mom upstairs and sit at the kitchen table while she puts her flowers in a vase and starts fixing grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for the two of us. I tell her about my new release, and she tells me about her friends and the other updates she’s done to the house. I’m so thankful to hear she is happy and keeping busy since we lost my dad a few years ago from a sudden heart attack.
We were all pretty lost for a while without him, and Ty decided to get as far away from the memories as possible by fleeing to California. But now we’ve all settled into our new lives, and I think he’d be proud of us.
After lunch, I head back to the city with some extra leftovers she had in her fridge to eat for dinner. I stop and grab a new notebook for plotting my next book and then get ready to go to Finnegan’s.