The Wrong Brother

Chapter 9

MONTY

The toast wasn’t doing much to help my appetite, but at least the coffee my parents had in their cabinet was good. By the time I made it back to my parent’s place yesterday, they already had guests and they threw me right into the deep end with the introductions. They were both so happy to introduce me as their army hero son to their guests. Of course, I smiled and greeted everybody with the pleasantries I was accustomed to doing growing up. Each introduction just pissed me off more and more. Neither of them supported my service, it just sounds good when they get to show off to their friends.

As the night went on I was feeling more and more restless. I wanted to confront my parents about Maddox’s daughter and the NDA they forced Iris to sign. Since they were busy playing hostess, I ended up just enjoying their expensive liquor. Initially, I had no plans to spend the night, but I was way too wasted once all the guests left to drive myself home. I also had enough sense to not bring up Iris and Maddox when I wasn’t in the best state. 

Waking up with a hangover wasn’t pleasant, but the early morning workout and the caffeine were helping get rid of the brain fog. I was really looking forward to meeting up with Iris once again before heading home, but I needed to talk to my parents first.

My mom was the first to arrive in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting across the island from me, way too perky for this time in the morning. “How’s my oldest boy feeling this morning?”

“I’ve been better,” I replied honestly.

“You overdid it last night, Montgomery. That isn’t like you at all. I’m just happy that nobody seemed to be aware of how much you had to drink. That would have been embarrassing for your father and me.”

“It’s always about how you look to the outside world, isn’t it, Mom?”

“Dear Lord, I do not have it in me to drag out this conversation once again. You had a good life growing up, Monty. You’re way too old to still be blaming the victim. You do not have to live the same life that your father and I do, but that doesn’t mean it is okay to disrespect us under our own roof. Plus, I know what this little temper tantrum is all about anyway.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Of course,” she rolled her eyes. “Your brother already called me to tell me about the argument the two of you had. I cannot believe you’re still acting so immature. Between the way you were raised and your time in the military, you’d think that would be full out of your system.”

“I’m immature? Maddox is the one living off you and Dad. He can’t hold down an actual grown-up job and apparently, he is a deadbeat dad. Something I’m still trying to get over.”

“There is nothing for you to get over. It was an issue that came up and we handled it.”

“Holy shit, Mom, you’re acting like he got in a car accident or was cited a speeding ticket. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant. That’s your grandchild!”

“You need to watch your tone with me. I don’t care how old you are, I’m still your mother. And maybe if you had been around instead of escaping reality and playing in a sandbox for a living, you would have been home to know what happened to your brother and see the bigger picture.”

And there it is, the nice little digs she always loves to give about my choice of career. If all those people she so proudly introduced me to last night could hear her now. “There is no bigger picture here. There are things called phones and other things called computers. You could have told me what was going on back here. And stop dismissing the fact that Maddox fathered a child and you paid her off to shut up!”