One More Chance

“Kelsey has always been a bit abrasive. It sounds like she’s met her perfect match.”

“You know they’re expecting a little one in the fall.”

“No kidding! So you’ll have another addition to your family soon.”

“A little boy. I think they’ve decided to name him Tyler.”

“And that’s not weird,” I said, chuckling.

“Tyler was my husband’s middle name. Don’t get too cocky.”

“How can I not when I’ve got a woman like you flirting with me?”

Just as I smiled at Mrs. Hinglebottom, I heard a loud crash in the kitchen. I shot up from the couch and dashed in, sliding the doors closed behind me before people could get a glimpse. I knew what had happened. Though I didn’t yet know the specifics, I knew this was my mother’s opus for the evening.

“Son of a bitch!” she exclaimed.

“Come here, Mom. I’ve got—”

I turned around and saw her bleeding from her palms. I rushed to her side while my father stood at the door, sipping on what looked like scotch. Whatever it was, he sure as hell wasn’t helping me with Mom.

And that pissed me off.

“Can you at least be a little useful and get me a first aid kit?” I asked.

I helped Mom over to the sink and turned the water on. I plucked a small shard of glass from her hand as the kit landed on the counter beside me. Nonchalance. Not exactly the type of mood necessary for the situation. I cleaned my mother up and got her bandaged. Then I sat her down at the kitchen table while I swept up the bloodied glass.

“I need another drink,” she slurred.

“What you need is water and some sleep,” I said.

“I haven’t finished my wine.”

“You’ve finished all you’re going to finish tonight. Now come on. I’m taking you upstairs.”

She fought me as best as she could, but I threw her over my shoulder and stormed out of the kitchen. I carried her upstairs and flopped her down on her bed, watching as she slid under the covers. I dug out some Tylenol and found a plastic cup to fill with water and put on her bedside table.

She was snoring by the time I turned off the light and closed the door.

I avoided my father the rest of the evening. I handed out cards to people who seemed interested, going through the hundred I’d come with. I even walked away with Richard’s information and a meeting scheduled to sit down and discuss an issue he was having. I felt good about the networking I had done, and the only thing left was to get out of there without running into my father.

I should have known it wouldn’t have happened.

“Heading out already, Son?”

I slowly turned toward him and locked my eyes on his.

“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, but something needs to give with Mom.”

“What did you say?” he asked.

“You are not only enabling her drinking, but she hurt herself on that kitchen floor and you didn’t even give a shit.”

“How can I give a shit if she doesn’t give a shit?”

“She was bleeding, Dad! Bleeding from her hands. I bandaged her up as best as I could, but she’s still going to need a doctor. I think her left hand needs stitches.”

“Not my fault she can’t hold her alcohol.”

“But is it your fault that she can still access it in this house.”

“Your mother’s a grown woman. She’s made her decision. I told her that whatever consequences came of her actions while drunk were hers and hers alone to deal with.”

“So if she had pierced her jugular or slit her thigh open, you would’ve let her bleed out on the floor?”

“Don’t you raise your voice at me,” he said.

“Then don’t give me a reason to.”

I drew in a deep breath before I opened the front door and walked out to my car. I had been around my parents as much as I could. My mother would be the talk of the town yet again, and my father would wash his hands of it like always. The only thing I could hope for was that I’d snagged a client or two out of it.

And with the way people had responded to me, I had a good feeling about it—even if they’d only come to see the display of idiocy my parents always brought to the table.

Ana

“Miss Price, we really enjoy your designs. And we really do feel that it’s a shame they can only be found in your store.”

“It does give my store the edge, however.”

“That it does. But, this meeting is to discuss the possibility of eliminating that edge so we can sell some of your designs in our stores as well.”

When the executive board of Bloomingdale’s got in touch with me, I had thought someone was pulling a prank. I had thought it was Kristi pretending to be someone or Tyler pulling an asinine joke to get my attention. But when I scheduled the Tuesday morning meeting and dropped Brody off with my parents, I started convincing myself that it might not have been a trick.