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TRACK 20 - PART 2

With (NO) love, Tyler-Jane Roberts

"What is it?"

Say it! Fucking tell him already!

I opened my mouth to speak but fate decided it had other - much more cruel - plans as the front door swung open.

"There you two are!"

I turned my head hearing the sound of a woman's voice. She stood in the door frame, looking like the perfect image of a typical suburban mother, with an apron spattered with spots of flour covering her clothes. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a low bun, allowing her features - ones that were eerily similar to the man standing next to me - to be on full display.

"One second, Ma," Carter said to the woman, before turning his attention back to me. "Are you okay?"

I forced my lips to curve into a smile, feeling the confidence I once had to tell him the truth quickly die out. "Yeah, it's nothing."

"You sure?"

I nodded. "I'm sure."

Carter's smile returned as we walked towards the front door, greeting his mother who happily stood waiting for us. "TJ, this is my mom, Mary," Carter introduced.

"TJ! It's so nice to finally meet you!" The woman greeted, pulling me in for a hug, an act I normally wanted to avoid at all costs. However, she radiated a sense of warmth and a hint of vanilla, something I found oddly comforting.

I shifted on the balls on my feet. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Young."

"Oh, please. Call me Mary."

My lips pressed together as I forced a smile, unsure of what to say next. Thankfully, Carter saved us from suffering in an awkward silence by asking, "Where's Dad?"

"Therapy. He wasn't doing too well this morning. But, he should be back later this afternoon."

As we followed his mother further into the house, Carter leaned down and whispered, "Physiotherapy. For an injury that he got at work."

I nodded, remembering from our date that he had mentioned something about his father being injured. Yet, it was still surprising to hear, considering he didn't mention anything further about it. Not wanting my mind to speculate, I was thankful there was another distraction. Although, that came in the form of a tiny human.

Carter picked up the girl and spun around, causing her to squeal with joy. "I thought I wasn't seeing you until later! What are you doing here?" he asked. "Isn't it a little early for you to already be skipping school?"

The tiny human responded by shrugging her shoulders.

"Half-day," Mary answered. "I wanted to make sure she got to spend as much time with her favourite uncle as she could."

Carter's smile slightly faltered. "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "Rory, can you say hi to TJ?"

Rory, formerly known as the tiny human, looked over in my direction and gave me a quick wave. She turned her attention back towards Carter and whispered something I was unable to hear.

"Who is she?" Carter laughed. "She's my friend and she's joining us for lunch. Is that okay with you?"

Rory looked over at me once again and slowly nodded her head. I wasn't sure how to feel about getting approval from the tiny human, but it seemed like a step in the right direction.