Moments In Between ( Book 2)

Chapter 10: Oak trees and Apologies

My family is laughing again. Jordan and I decided we should all spend the day at the park. A day with food and fun. No doctor appointments, no therapy, and no medical anything. We need more days like this. Mom and Mark, especially. Those two are going through so much. Between his heart condition and her memory problems, it seems like all hope for a happy family was lost.

They try to hide the discomfort from us, but I know. Mark tells me everything, and Mom, I know her. When she is sad, she sits by a window and stares at the sky or the rain, and she is doing it a lot more often now. Mark thinks he deserves to die, and if I do not keep a close eye on him, he skips his meds. Mom is giving herself a hard time because she does not want to forget about us. All their worrying is not good, and it makes me worry about them even more.

"Jared."

I look up at my mom. "Yeah."

She stretches her hand towards me. "Take a walk with me."

I get up and hook arms with her, and we begin walking. After a few minutes of silence, she speaks up.

"How are you?"

Let's see, I have a job. Medical and utility bills to pay. A crazy ex-girlfriend who will not stop calling and texting me. The love of my life is married to someone who is not me. I hate school. My mother might wake up one day and not recognise me. What the hell. I am too young for this much stress.

"I'm fine, ma, what about you?"

She sighs. "I know things have been going crazy lately..."

"It's okay, Mom, you don't have to."

She stops and turns me towards her. "Let me talk... You and I have hit a rough patch, Jay. I hate it."

So she has noticed. I thought she had forgotten about our fights, with her condition and all. I have distanced myself a lot from her, and I have hated every inch of it. I can not stand her being mad at me every time she lays her eyes on me. It hurts. She is my mom, and I love her. I did not want to disappoint her.

"Ma, I'm the one who was wrong."

"I'm sorry, Jay, you're my son, and I should have faith in you. It feels like that fight with your teacher happened years ago. I don't even know why we're fighting."

"Because I'm stubborn," I say.

"You and me both."

I guess now is a good time to spill the beans. "He threatened me, ma, he got me angry, and I just slipped. I could handle him talking crap to me, but he put his hands on me... I'm sorry ma."

"What! Jared, did he threaten you?"

His secret is not worth more than my relationship with my mother. I do not know why I am even protecting that prick. What has he ever done but be a menace to my life? "Yeah, he keeps a gun in his desk, and he said he would shoot me; he's not a nice guy, ma."

"What the hell!" She smacks my arm. "Jared, why didn't you say something?"

"I'm not a snitch."

She smacks me again. "I raised you with sense, why are you wasting it?"

"Ouch, sorry."

"I'm gonna talk with the police and the principal."

"Moommm."

"Don't mom me, you or Mark could get hurt as long as there is a man with a gun there. And you will tell us where it is. Do you hear me?" She says, waving her 'mom is boss' finger at me.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"'Cause I knew you would react like this."

"Jared.." She pulls me into her arms. "What if he decides to shoot at you or anyone else one day? What if I lose you or Mark? A secret like that puts you boys in danger, and I will not sleep at night knowing what I know now."