My Fake Fling

He scoffed. “She just wants to control me.”

“She just wants to keep you from doing stupid stuff like getting caught with drugs,” I said. “You know you’re the only kid your mom has. She’s never raised a teenager. She doesn’t know what to expect either. She’s doing her best. She might be winging it a bit, but she’s doing the best she can.”

“She freaked out when I got suspended,” he complained. “She absolutely went crazy.”

“Because she loves you.”

“She thinks I’m still a little kid. Everyone drinks and smokes a little. It’s not that big of a deal. My friends didn’t get in trouble.”

“They didn’t get suspended?”

“No, they did, but their parents don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” he said.

“Maybe not, and again, I hate to sound cliché, but they don’t have your mom,” I said. “Your mom would walk through fire for you. She would swim across an ocean to save you if she needed to. I don’t think you realize just how lucky you are to have a mom. I miss my mom every single day. I know it’s so hard for you to see this right now, because I sure as hell didn’t see it when I was your age, but this is really the good stuff. Having your mom annoy you is good. One day in the very far away future, you’re actually going to look back on these days with fondness.”

He curled his lip. “That sounds ridiculous.”

“I know, I know,” I said, laughing. “There’s probably some secret adult code that forbids me from telling you any of this. I know people used to tell me to appreciate my parents while I had them. I totally dismissed the idea. I just want you to know that these are hard days, but they don’t have to be the worst days. Save those for when you’re grown up. Have you talked to your mom about the difficulties you’re having?”

“Like she cares,” he said.

“She does. She absolutely does.” I hated to see him struggling. He felt alone. I knew that feeling. It was horrible and could lead one down a dark road to depression.

He shrugged and dunked the mop in the bucket. “Besides, whenever we talk, she gets so mad. And bossy. And judge-y.”

“She’s your mom,” I said gently. “She’s not judging you. Think of it as constructive criticism. She’s trying to help you. She’s not perfect, but she’s trying. She refuses to give up on you.”

“That’s why I’m here, right?” he asked. “I’m here because she can’t handle me anymore.”

“No, you’re here because your mom has been working a lot lately,” I said. “She needs some time off. And I haven’t seen you in forever. Are you saying you would like to be home with your mom?”

He looked at me with horror. “No!”

I laughed at his response. “We won’t tell her you were so adamant about your rejection. I’m glad you’re here. Sometimes, hanging out with animals that can’t judge you or give you an opinion is exactly what you need.”

“Is that why you spend so much time here?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I love the animals a lot more than I love people.”

“Me too,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get a job working with animals.”

“Oh, you would make an amazing veterinarian!”

I saw the little smile. “Maybe I’ll talk to my school counselor.”

“You should,” I said. “And maybe mention it to your mom. Everyone is worried about you because we all care. We just want you to have a bright future.”

He groaned again. “That is so lame.”

I laughed and shook my head. “I forget I got old. If you don’t want to talk to your mom, which is very normal, how about a letter? I’m all about writing a letter to express my feelings. Sometimes a conversation can stir up too many emotions to have a real conversation. You can write it all down. Say everything you can’t say to her face. Tell her what you’ve told me.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he said.

We finished mopping and locked up the shelter. I doublechecked all the doors, including my office. If someone was stupid enough to break in, I didn’t want them getting any information from my office. I had already made the bank run. We kept very little cash in the place. It was just too much of a risk. Most people paid the adoption fees with credit cards anyway.

“Come on, Kona.”

The dog hopped up and led the way to the back door. I opened it and let her go out first. It sometimes felt like I was sacrificing her, but it was her job and she loved to protect me. She walked out with her nose in the air and her big ears standing at attention. Lucas and I waited just inside the door. The moment Kona’s tail started wagging, it was our signal to go.