A Life Remembered (Hard Time Series-Book 7)

Burgers and Fries

STEF POV

"I got you a salad, Ma. It has organic tofu and lettuce in it too." Noah says, as I smile at him and shake my head. I had taken my son to a burger joint so that the two of us could talk.

Maybe, hopefully, I could get something out of him tonight because lord knows I promised my wife, and this was making us both not only worried but driving us nuts. Yes, I hated not knowing EVERYTHING, but I understood I wasn't supposed to always know everything. But when it came to my kids, even Callie, I did not like being in the fucking dark. At all.

This was no different, and I knew from the second Noah came back home, something was up. And now it was confirmed since he confessed it to Rev. I wasn't going to grill or interrogate him, which sure I was known for. I just wanted to make sure that my son felt safe, and like he could tell us anything. No matter what.

"Ma, I know Mama has you on a certain diet for your blood pressure. So I want to make sure I stick to that."

"Yeah, well, I can have a fry or two, ya know. One won't kill me, neither will a bite of that burger you got." I smile, grabbing his burger and taking a bite as laughs at me.

"Ma, when was the last time you had a burger?" He laughs, dipping his fries into ketchup as I take another bite and slide the burger back to him.

The air was nice tonight and I smile again at my son who looks so much like Lena it's uncanny.

"Ages. Years. Decades even maybe. But, is that all you are eating though, baby? Get what you want, baby boy. This is my treat."

"Oh, this is good for now, Ma. And I can treat you. I work now and I make decent money." He says, and I shake my head at him.

"Yeah, I'm aware, but I want you to save your money, sweetheart. I got it. Let me treat my son. It's been a while since you and I got to hang together alone, ya know? We use to all the time when you were growing up." Bitting into my salad now and stealing a few sips of his vanilla shake, it was true. Noah and I spent a lot of time together when he was younger, even when he was a teenager, and I enjoyed every second of raising him.

"Remember, I took you to those monster truck shows and stuff. You loved this dinosaur exhibits, too."

"Oh yeah! I did love that, Ma. I always liked being with you, too. I mean, we had a full house and all but, our time meant a lot to me and I wanna give back to you and Mama. You do so much for all of us."

"We don't think anything of it, honey. But I loved our time too, sweetheart, and it meant a lot to me too." I say, winking at him as he blushes at me. And being the sweet boy he is, he leans in and kisses me on the cheek and I grab his hand holding it.

"I love you Mama. I do."

"I love you too, Noah. Look, I know you got caught up in life and friends at college. I get that shit. Even if I never went and all, I still get it, honey. Mama and I aren't angry at you, we understand. But you know I'm a straight shooter, babe. Always have been, and it's worked in our relationship. Right?"

"Yeah, Ma. Yeah." He says sipping his shake.

"And you've come to me many times. Many, and since you got home, I know something is up, babe." I say in the softest tone possible as he looks up from his food right into my eyes. I can sense his nervousness and I gently rest my hand on his arm.

"Oh, there's, there's nothing up, Ma. I just felt bad for not calling and stuff. That's all. It was rotten of me."

"Yeah, I get that babe. Sure, but I know my children. And I know my grandchildren and I can sniff out when something is wrong. I've been doing that for a long time. Prior to jail and in jail. I was off sometimes, but rarely. And with you babies, rarely. So baby, whatever it is, whatever the reason you felt you needed to run, to hide in another country and not tell us, we won't be angry, mad or think anything horrible about you. We just won't, my boy." I say as he continues to avoid my eyes, but I gently lift his chin up and our eyes meet.