Chapter 9 Asia
I texted Nyree back last night to let him know that he indeed had the correct number but when he texted me again, I didn’t respond.
I didn’t know why - I just froze up.
“What do you want to do today?” Ma asked, waking up with a yawn, then turning to look at me.
How the hell did she wake up ready for conversation?
I smiled in amusement then faced her. “Wanna check out the boardwalk?”
She thought for a second then nodded. “That would be nice. It will take my mind off the fact that he’s probably walking down the aisle by now.”
The sadness in her voice made my chest tighten.
This trip had been my idea – a way to get Ma far away from Philly when Dad and Tiffany said their vows.
I still remembered the look on her face when she saw Dad's social media post about how "the second time around" was better than the first. She'd tried to play it off like it didn't bother her, but I knew better.
Thirty-eight years of marriage, and he'd thrown it all away for a woman ten years younger – the same woman he'd been sneaking around with for the last three years of their marriage. When Ma found out about the affair, Dad had sworn it was over. Then she caught him again. And again.
The final straw came when she discovered he'd been spending their savings on lavish gifts for Tiffany while telling Ma they needed to tighten their belts. She kicked him out, and after that, Dad had gone wild – dating woman after woman, living it up like a bachelor half his age.
And now, two years later, he was crawling back to Tiffany.
Not because he'd seen the error of his ways or because he truly loved her.
According to my cousin who still talked to him, Dad had lost his job three months ago and needed somewhere to stay.
Tiffany, with her nice house and steady income as a nurse administrator, was his golden ticket.
"He's not worth the brain space, Ma," I said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
Ma squeezed back, a sad smile on her face. "I know, baby. I don't miss him. I just hate feeling like I wasted so much of my life on someone who could discard me so easily."
"You didn't waste anything," I insisted. "You got me out of the deal, right?" I tried for a lighthearted tone, hoping to coax a real smile from her.
It worked. Ma's face softened, and she reached out to cup my cheek. "You're right about that. Best thing that man ever gave me was you, Asia." She sat up straighter, seeming to shake off the sadness.
"Now, let me grab something to wear and some comfortable shoes. You wanna eat breakfast downstairs before we head out?"
My mind flashed to Nyree before I answered. “Sure.”
Ma yawned again, stretching, then got up and headed toward the bathroom, pausing in the doorway. "Thank you for taking me out here, Asia.” Her eyes pooled with her words, and I felt another pang in my heart.
“No problem, Ma. We’re gonna have fun today.”
“That we are!” she said with enthusiasm, then disappeared inside the bathroom.
The door closed behind her, and I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. What my father did to my mother was another reason I was cautious when it came to men.
The bullshit with my ex Quan was what I told everyone else was the reason, but it was the fact that my father, the man I was supposed to look up to as the prototype of a husband, had done my mother dirty in the worst way.
If he could do that to her after over all those years of marriage, what hope did I have?
At that thought, I grabbed my phone and checked it. No new messages from Nyree. Maybe he'd given up after I didn't respond. The thought made my stomach sink a little.
When Ma emerged from the bathroom, she was already dressed in jeans and a comfortable shirt, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a neat bun.
"I'm thinking we should get breakfast at that little café we passed yesterday instead," she said, applying a light coat of lipstick. "I’d rather do that than stay cooped up in this hotel. Then we can hit the boardwalk while it's still quiet."
"Sounds good to me," I replied, getting up to get ready.
I went into the bathroom and took my shower. As I got dressed, I found myself thinking about Nyree again. Would he be busy all day with his photography gig? Would I run into him in the hotel? And if I did, what would I say?
"Asia," Ma called, interrupting my thoughts. "You about ready?"
I took one last look in the mirror, smoothing down my hair and taking a deep breath. "Yeah, Ma. I'm ready."
As we headed out the door, I made a silent promise to myself. This weekend was about Ma – about helping her heal and making new memories to replace the painful ones. I couldn't let myself get distracted by a handsome photographer with a charming smile, no matter how tempting he might be.
But even as I thought it, I knew I was lying to myself. Nyree had already gotten under my skin, and I couldn’t deny I was hoping to run into him again.
Ma looped her arm through mine as we walked toward the elevator. "You know what I was thinking?" she said, her voice lighter than it had been in weeks. "We should take one of those boat tours this afternoon. The ones that go out to see the dolphins."
I smiled, pushing thoughts of Nyree aside for now. "That sounds perfect, Ma. Let's do it."