“He’s not bad. He’s having a bad moment. This stuff does not mean he’s bad.”
“He’s going to ruin his life,” she said. “He’s going to make a mistake I can’t fix for him. I truly believe he’s going to land in jail or get seriously hurt. Don’t they always say pot is the gateway drug?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I assured her. “He’s young and doing things young teens do.”
“This isn’t nothing,” she said. “This is bad. I’m going to get gray hair. The child is stressing me out.”
“Since he’s suspended from school, send him to work at the shelter with me,” I suggested. “You take a couple days off. The shelter isn’t full. I can handle the workload. It will do Lucas some good to put in a hard day’s work and hang out with some animals. And I’ll get to spend time with him.”
“I can’t let you take on my problem,” she said.
“He’s not a problem,” I insisted. “He’s struggling. I can help out. I want to help. I’m sure he still loves animals, right?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said. “He’s changed so much in the last couple of months. I honestly don’t even know him.”
“Maybe a few days cleaning kennels and hanging out with kittens and puppies will remind him he’s a good boy,” I said. “Get him away from the negative influences. He needs a little kick in the butt to remember his roots. You need some time to decompress. You’ve been dealing with a lot. Not to mention the craziness at the shelter. You should have told me what was going on.”
“I didn’t want to add to your plate,” she said. “Between the shelter and your dad’s mess, the last thing you need is to deal with my drama.”
“I want to deal with your drama,” I told her while looking directly into her eyes. “We’re best friends. We’re supposed to lean on each other.”
“I just didn’t want to burden you,” she said.
“I’m not burdened. It’ll be nice to have a strapping young lad to help out.”
We both laughed at the idea. Lucas wasn’t exactly strapping. He was tall and gangly. We promised him he would grow into his height, but I wasn’t so sure.
I remembered my early teens. They were miserable. They were the years you prayed you would make it through and the years you refused to look back on too frequently.
“I do appreciate the help,” she said. “I do need a break. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get through the next couple days with him. He’s grounded, which means he would be home alone. He has the idea this suspension is a vacation. I caught him on the phone this morning talking to one of his bad influences. They were making plans! Can you believe the audacity? It’s like we’ve reverted to the toddler years. I can’t leave him home alone. But unlike the toddler years, he is no fun to be around. He’s grouchy and snarky.”
I didn’t want to laugh, but she was describing a teenager. A typical teenager. “If he gets snarky with me, I’ll lock him in a kennel.”
“Hmm, I wonder if I can get one of the extra-large ones for home,” she teased. “That’ll keep him from sneaking out. I’ll make sure he has plenty of food and water. That has to be legal, right? Maybe I can homeschool him. I miss the days when he would run home after school and tell me about his day. We have always been so close. I miss my baby.”
“He’s still your baby, but he’s growing up and becoming independent,” I said gently. “That’s the parenting goal. In a few years, he’s going to want to move out and start his own life. I’ve heard people say the teen years are rough for a reason. It makes it easier to say goodbye when they move out. It’s a relief.”
“I just pray I can make it the next few years,” she said. “I pray I can keep him alive. I caught him sneaking out last week.”
“Ally!” I couldn’t believe she had been going through all this without me having a single clue. “You have to tell me things. Don’t you keep this bottled up inside. There is nothing going on in my life that is more important than you and Lucas.”
“Your dad,” she reminded me.
“My dad is a grown-ass man making horrible decisions. It’s not like I’m changing his mind. I can get mad and rage, but it does nothing. At least with your situation I can actually do something to help.”
“And your help is greatly appreciated,” she said. “I hope it will do him some good.”
“Me too. If anything, I get to spend some time with my favorite teenager.”
“You might regret it,” she said, smiling and shaking her head.
“Not a chance.”
Our meals were delivered. While eating, she broached the one subject I hoped she wouldn’t. “How was your date?” she asked.
Ally could see right through me. Lying was futile. “It was fine. It was a nice dinner. Really good food.”
“And?” she prompted.