“What’s happened?” Thane asked, tugging his shorts on while toeing on his sandals.
“Luke said my mom’s there. I don’t know what that means, but Aunt Linda said it’s her, and apparently, they’re fighting. Linda won’t let her inside the house,” Levi explained, pulling on his shoes.
“I thought she died,” Thane said, tucking his wallet and cell phone in his pockets while going for the ball caps he’d brought home for Logan and Luke from Johns Hopkins. He tossed one to Levi then put the other on.
“She did, was…I don’t know. I thought social services had confirmed it.” Levi grabbed his wallet and cell phone and started for the front door, not quite able to wrap his head around the possibility that his mother was at his house.
Thane called out for Iris. He heard Thane’s clipped voice requesting his car be delivered to the main lobby entrance immediately. Levi should have just told him he’d take a cab, but he didn’t. His heart was racing in his chest, and he could really use the support right now. His mother had been gone for almost all of Luke’s life. They had all believed for so long that she was dead. What other reasons would allow a mother to abandon her three young children? There were none that he could think of. No phone calls, no cards or letters. Year after year, birthdays and Christmases came and went and nothing, not a word from her. What the hell could she hope to gain by showing up now? Only one thought came to mind and that had dread coiling in his gut.
Thane was in the kitchen, chugging orange juice from the carton. He quickly replaced the carton with two cold coffee drinks while Levi pushed his hair back, putting the cap on backward, “Are you ready?”
“I should tell you I’ll handle it,” Levi offered, giving Thane the out, but his guy just shook his head, pointing his finger toward the door.
“We consummated our new relationship last night. I’ll always be by your side. I’m not arguing this out with you. I just wish Logan and Luke had been here so they didn’t have to deal with all this,” Thane said, pushing open the door for Levi to walk through first. They double-timed it toward the elevator.
“I can’t see anything good coming from this,” Levi said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“What’s the worst-case scenario?” Thane asked as the elevator door opened. They were inside alone with Thane frantically pushing the close door button.
“She wants Luke,” Levi answered. Saying it out loud had the dread multiplying inside him.
“Where’s she been this whole time? She left all of you right after Luke was born. She won’t get him,” Thane declared, his leg bouncing with adrenaline as they watched each number above the doors light.
“I don’t know that. If it’s her and she’s cleaned herself up and just found out about my dad, I could see it happening,” Levi reasoned and closed his eyes, pressing his fingers in his eyes.
“We’d fight that, Levi. Luke doesn’t need that kind of disruption.” Thane huffed, his steely gaze landing on Levi.
“I don’t think it would matter if we fought it. Maybe Luke’s age might help, especially if he doesn’t want to go with her,” Levi said and edged closer to the doors as they got to the lobby floor and waited for the elevator to open.
“But it would stop the move,” Thane said as the doors opened. They were out the doors; Thane right on his heels. When he started heading in the wrong direction, Thane reached out, gripping Levi’s bicep. “It’s out here.”
They got inside the car, and Thane zipped across the parking lot. Levi stared out the side window, contemplating everything. He couldn’t believe all the years she’d missed. She’d been gone a long time. Why would she surface now? Hope took hold. He remembered being in the social worker’s office when she confirmed his mother’s death. Maybe it wasn’t her, maybe his brother had misunderstood Linda, but regardless, in no scenario did he see this ending well.
“I work in a gay men’s club peddling drinks in my underwear. The court’s gonna love that.”
“Stop that, Levi. You’re jumping way ahead; you don’t even know the situation,” Thane said, taking a turn a little too quickly while punching the gas.
Levi marveled at the speed and ability Thane had behind the wheel. The fifteen-minute ride took eight before Thane whipped the rental into the driveway. Levi stared at the scene. No doubt, it was his mother. She was sitting on the front porch step, cigarette in hand, and couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds. Linda stood by the front door with her arms crossed over her chest. He could see the frown on her face as she guarded that door. His mom would have to go through Linda before she got inside, and Linda's stance made it clear how likely that would be.