Beautifully Broken

She clutches the handle of her monstrous purse against her knee length white dress. Dark hair similar to mine, perfectly curled under a matching white hat, falls to her shoulders—longer than the last time I saw her. My mother’s a beautiful woman. I understand why my dad puts up with her antics, but I don’t see her enough to let her beauty justify her actions or lack thereof towards me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been meaning to come visit for a few weeks now,” she says twisting the handle between her fingers. “Let’s grab a bite to eat.”

“This isn’t a fucking social call, mom!” I stand and point down the hallway. “My girlfriend’s in the fucking ICU and we aren’t allowed back yet. If you think I’m going to miss my chance at seeing her to go eat with you, you’ve lost your damn mind.”

“Rex,” Mamma T puts her hand on my shoulder. “Piper still has a few more hours of monitoring before they’re allowing visitors. Go. I’ll call if anything changes.”

“Let’s run to the house. We can’t go anywhere with you looking like that.” Mother wrinkles her nose.

I know I look like shit, probably smell like it too, but I’m not going home. Not yet. “We can eat in the cafeteria downstairs.”

“Rex, I—”

I cut her off before she can insult everyone busting their asses here. Years of overpriced dinners and self-entitled behavior has made my mother’s filter for anyone not rolling in dough nonexistent. I’m not about to have her piss someone off with her rude comments and risk them taking their anger out on Piper. I honestly don't think that would happen, but I’m not leaving anything to chance. “I’m not leaving the building. Take my offer of the cafeteria or leave.”

“If you insist.”

“Go get us a table. I’m going to the bathroom to wash my hands.” My hands are as clean as they’re going to get without a real shower, my face too. This is nothing more than an excuse. The thought of being trapped in an elevator with my mother, even for a few minutes, makes me want to puke.

I hate her. I hate her for abandoning me to a stranger when I was a kid, for never showing up at a hockey game or on my birthday. But most of all, I hate her for being here now. I don’t have the energy or the patience to deal with her bullshit.

“Rex…”

“Bye, Mother. See you there.” I take the stairs instead of the elevator to keep her waiting. When I finally make it to the basement, the cafeteria is closed. She’s sitting at a small iron table outside of an also closed gift shop with two Cokes and some chips.

“I paid the woman fifty bucks to let me buy these. She was already closing up but agreed. Here.” She pushes one of the Cokes and a bag of chips to me as I sit down. “Have you eaten anything?”

Nope. Haven’t even tried. My stomach’s been twisted in knots, worried about Piper. “Haven’t been hungry.”

She nods. “I’m sorry about your girlfriend. Will she live?”

“She better fucking live.” I’ll kill that bastard myself if she doesn’t. Speaking of bastards, where the fuck is Bane? I pull out my phone and shoot Cooper a quick text to go check on him. I find it hard to believe Bane wouldn’t be here if he knew what had happened.

“We need to talk, Son.”

I twist the cap off my Coke and take a sip. My stomach cramps, finally realizing it hasn’t had anything all day. I grab the chips and open the bag, instantly starving. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

I crunch on the salty potatoes. They taste like heaven. I don’t normally eat this crap because of my training regimen. Even in the off season I try to eat well, only having a few beers, but never getting drunk. Right now though, I’m hungry and don’t give two shits about my diet.

“There’s no easy way to say this, but your father is cutting you off.” Mother doesn’t even bat an eye. The sentence sounds rehearsed, like I’m one of Dad’s employees she’s letting go. Do I mean that little to her that she can’t even sound remorseful?

“Excuse me?” I say with a mouthful of chips. I swallow then take a sip of my soda to clear the bits that got stuck. “You pick now of all times to tell me this shit? What the fuck mom! Why?”

She tucks her hair behind her ears. “Well, because he’s not your real father. I…I don’t know who your biological dad is.”

Another rehearsed line, with zero emotion. This is huge news. She should be crying or nervous or something, but no. Like usual, my mother has no heart, whereas mine was shattered today and now stepped on by shiny red heels. “What the literal fuck, Mom!”

“Watch your mouth! Kip may not be your father, but I’m still your mother and you will show me respect.”

I roll my eyes. She’s not my mother. My mother is back at my house doing Lord knows what because my egg donor wouldn’t let her come to me. “Whatever. So that’s it. You're here to tell me I’m fucked.”

“No, Rex. Never.” She reaches across the table for my hand. I let her touch it for a split second then pull away. “We’re giving you the house here and the one in New York. I figured you’d want a place to stay while visiting Gretchen. I’ve already given her the signed titles. They’re notarized, so all you have to do is take them to a real estate agent to finish the process.”

“How thoughtful,” I mumble.

“And you have your savings, which is more than most people have in their lifetimes. And of course if you need anything, I will always help you.”