“Yes,” I nodded. “Like you.”
“Well,” mom said tiredly, and I instantly felt bad about everything I had said. “I guess I’ve been a rotten parent, huh? I set a bad example for you your whole life, and that is the reason you’re so closed off… so rigid.”
I clenched my jaw defensively, forgetting my initial regret at saying everything I had just said. “You know what? I’m just going to grab my things and leave. I have a new apartment now.”
“Well, I hope you’re happy there,” mom replied, in a tone that suggested she wanted me to leave too.
I walked out of her room, grabbed my stuff, and headed out. I had put all my remaining things into a sling bag so I didn’t have a heavy load to carry back to Devlin’s apartment. I shook my head and corrected myself… it was my apartment now too. I had to remember that, it would just take a while to get used to. I was walking back, feeling completely drained and gloomy when I felt my phone ring. It was Seth calling.
“Hey, kid,” he said. “I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing… today’s moving day right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Sorry I missed you this morning… Cory said you had an early shift.”
“Unfortunately yeah,” he nodded. “Is everything alright… you sound a little… down?”
I sighed. “Mom and I got into it again.”
“Oh no,” Seth said. “What happened?”
“What always happens,” I sighed. “She had another breakup and I—”
“What?” Seth asked, interrupting me. “She was seeing someone?”
“Fuck,” I said. “Mom said she was going to tell you, but I guess the relationship ended before she could.”
“But you knew?”
“Only because I ran into the guy at her apartment,” I said.
“How was he?” Seth asked.
“Does it even matter now?”
“Good point,” Seth said. “So the fight was about… the breakup?”
“Pretty much. I told her that she picked all the wrong guys and that she was so scared to be alone that she settled for losers and then stayed when they treated her like shit. She took a few shots at me, and I took a few shots at her,” I said. “Same old, same old… I just wish we could communicate better.”
“Don’t let this get you down,” Seth said. “Mom will get over it. She needs to be told the truth… whether she likes it or not.”
“You agreeing with me is not going to help,” I said. “She already thinks we gang up on her.”
Seth chuckled lightly. “Maybe we have good reason too,” he said. “Forget about that for now. How’s the new apartment? Does your new roommate seem normal or do I need to come over and have a talk with him?”
“You are mortifying,” I said, a little guilty about the fact that I was keeping my roommate’s true identity from Seth. I just knew he would get involved when he didn’t have to and it might cause more problems for me in the long run. “There’s no need for any of that. The guy is really nice… very normal.”
“They all seem that way in the beginning,” Seth said ominously.
“Hey, don’t say that!” I said. “You’ll jinx my nice, normal roommate.”
“Ok, ok, sorry,” Seth said, laughing at my panic. “I really hope that works out.”
“Do you?” I asked suspiciously.
“Well… it’s what you want and if it makes you happy then that’s all I care about.”
“Thanks big bro,” I said, feeling a burst of affection for Seth. He had always been there for me… sometimes even more than mom. He was my big brother and my surrogate father and I was so grateful he was in my life.
We chatted a little while longer while I made my way to the apartment. I was climbing up the stairs and I realized that the music that I was hearing was getting louder and louder. Was it possible someone was having a party on my floor? I paused as I reached the landing. I had a sinking feeling in my gut as I walked down the hall. Shit… the party was in my apartment. This was exactly the kind of thing I had wanted to avoid.