Fractured [SHAWN MENDES]

~51~

"I'm so glad you're here!" Patricia exclaimed when she arrived home the morning after Taryn's birthday. "There's something I want to talk to you about, but first I want to hear all about your dinner at that fancy-shmancy restaurant!"

"The food was amazing. I don't know if it's worth the money, though. I saw the bill and it was over four hundred dollars," Taryn told her. She made the decision last night to keep her run-in with Richie a secret. It would only upset her mom, and she didn't want that.

"That's a lot of money. If you and Shawn stay together, you're going to have to adjust to that lifestyle." She got herself a mug of coffee.

"That's a big 'if,' but if I did have that kind of money, I'd donate a pretty big chunk of it to charity. I don't really understand why anyone needs more money in the bank than they'd ever spend in their lifetime, especially when there are so many people suffering in the world."

Patricia sat down next to Taryn and smiled at her daughter. "I'm proud of you. Have I told you that lately?"

"Probably. You're always saying loving things to me," she replied as she gave her mom's hand a squeeze.

"I wish you'd call or write to your father and tell him about yourself. He'd be proud to."

Taryn snorted. "He left us. That means he gave up the right to know anything about me or have an opinion."

"Hmmm. I suppose that's one way to look at it. His letter makes it sound like he has regrets and wants to right some wrongs. You're forgiving of the mistake your boyfriend made, so why not give your father a chance?"

She wondered if she even had a boyfriend anymore, but that was something else she didn't feel like sharing with her mom right now. She'd cried herself to sleep last night over the possibility that they were over. "The difference is that Shawn didn't hurt me. Daddy did. It's harder to forgive him. Can we please drop this subject?"

"Let me say one more thing and then I'll keep quiet. Ford is not Richie. He wasn't a perfect partner or father and he had a lot of flaws, but he wasn't a sicko. I don't want you lumping them together as people you no longer want in your life, because they aren't in the same category."

She knew her mother was right, but it didn't make her decision any easier. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Patricia's face lit up. "Earl asked me to move in with him."

The first thought to flit through Taryn's mind was that Earl was ready to take this step and her boyfriend clearly wasn't, even though she and Shawn had been together longer. She hated herself for feeling envious, and pushed that negativity out of her head. "That's amazing! Are you going to do it?"

"I haven't given him an answer, but I'm leaning towards yes. I spend every night there already, and it's ridiculous for me to keep paying rent on this place if I'm never here."

Taryn and Shawn recently had dinner at Earl's. He owned a really nice old home built in the 1920's that he restored himself after his divorce. Her mom had never lived in an actual house with a yard, and it was her dream to do so. "You can have the rose garden you've always wanted!"

"I know!" she squealed.

"He has that big kitchen. Maybe you can finally learn to cook."

Patricia laughed. "Why would I, when he's so good at it?"

Taryn stood up and put her coffee mug in the sink. "It sounds like your decision is made. When will you move?"

"I have to give the landlord a month's notice, and obviously I'll need to get rid of anything here I don't want. You'll need to move the rest of your stuff to Shawn's."

"We don't live together, so no, I won't. I guess I should start looking for a place of my own."

There was something about the way Taryn said this that let Tricia know it was a sore point. She'd assumed her daughter and Shawn had an agreement about their living situation, but apparently they didn't. "Perhaps it's a good time to discuss moving in with Shawn."

"It's been discussed and it's not an option right now. I'd take over this lease, but it's a little steep. I'm sure I can find a little studio apartment someplace, maybe even within walking distance of the bar. If I do, I'll take any of the furniture here that you don't want," she said with false cheerfulness.

******

For a Thursday, it was an exceptionally slow night at The Good Luck Lounge. Taryn wished it were busier so that she didn't have so much time for her thoughts. She hadn't heard from Shawn all day and it was beginning to make her wonder if things were truly over. Early that morning she sent him a text asking that he not mention Richie to her mom, and he'd left her on read.

Reagan came out of the kitchen with a plate which she set on the bar. "Do you guys mind trying this? I was playing around with a recipe and I need a objective opinions."

"What exactly am I tasting?" Rob, the other bartender, asked.

"Chicken cheese balls. I took a piece of cheddar and surrounded it with ground chicken that's flavored with garlic, onion, and parsley. Then I breaded it and popped it in the fryer. I made a spicy ranch dip to go with it."

Rob went first. "Pretty good. I'd fuckin' love this if I was drunk or high."

Taryn picked one up and dipped it in the sauce before taking a bite. "It is good, but there's one thing I'd change."

Reagan smiled. "I'm open to suggestions. Let's hear it."

"Mozzarella instead of cheddar. I think the flavor will go better, and it's got a superior melted texture."

Rob nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! A hundred percent!"

"Back to the kitchen for round two!" Reagan said before disappearing.

A couple hours later, Taryn and Rob were finishing up the closing procedures. Now that there were two people working, they did all the cleaning at night so that Tricia wouldn't have to deal with it the next day. The chime of the bell on the door caused them to stop what they were doing.

Shawn stepped into the bar and gave them a little wave. "Hi."

"Dude! I was wondering where you were. I can't remember a single shift with T that you didn't show up."

Taryn went back to pushing the mop across the floor because she didn't have anything to say to Shawn that could be said in front of her coworker.

Rob and Reagan took off fifteen minutes later, leaving Shawn and Taryn alone.

"You didn't have to come," she said as she took off her apron and shoved it in the dirty laundry bag. "I can walk myself to my car."

"But I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?"

She turned and looked at him. "Are you?"

He let out a long sigh. "Let's go back to my place and talk, okay?"

My place. That's what it was. His place, not theirs. She knew it bugged her more since her mom was moving in with Earl, and that wasn't fair to Shawn, but she couldn't help feeling hurt. "I'm exhausted. I hardly slept last night, and I don't have it in me to fight."

The last thing he wanted was a repeat of the night before. He hadn't been able to sleep after he realized she'd left, so he couldn't handle more yelling, either. He'd gone into his room to calm down, with hopes they could resume the discussion and when he re-emerged, the condo was empty. Shawn had no idea what to make of her absence and had spent the entire night and today worrying that they were over. He was afraid to text her, because he didn't want it confirmed that way.

"I suggested talking, not fighting," he told her. "I want to work through this and make up."

"I'd like that, too," Taryn agreed.