John
Present
"Why don't you want to talk to her. Clear the air?" Marshall asks, his eyes are on a notepad as he jots notes for his secretary.
I blow air through my teeth, wondering the same. I am a grown man now and deserve the chance to let her know how much my mother royally fucked up my life, but at the same time, what would it solve? She's incapable of change.
"Because the last time I saw my mother..." my words trail off. I don't want to admit that, although my mother did a lot of wrong in her life, I did too.
Marshall's hand stills and he raises his eyebrows. I fidget as he calmly sits up straighter and waits for me to continue. He won't let me skirt around anything like Victoria does. That's why he's a good boss and an even better friend. It's also why I feel an immense obligation to be honest with him about all the things I otherwise would tuck away for the rest of my life. It's like a confessional, only I don't follow any particular faith. God has never shown up in my life.
"The last time I saw her, I was pretty cruel," I say just above a whisper. "It's not something I'm proud of. I hate that she has that over me," I tilt my head and feel the satisfying crack of my neck.
"We all do or say things from time to time that we aren't proud of, John," Marshall reassures me. But I don't think he has any scale to measure it to. His idea of wrong versus mine has got to be skewed.
He doesn't know my mother.
YOU ARE READING
We All Fall Down
General FictionEvery family has their secrets. When Rick met Patrice, he knows they are meant to be. Even with their vastly different backgrounds and just about to graduate high school, he has to marry her. Everything seems to be perfect until John is born. Fraug...
