Forever Dark: Book 1 of the Forever Dark Series

Chapter 4 - Mom & Dad

I peeked in the kitchen. Mom had ordered takeout from Jade Tiger, Dad's favorite Chinese restaurant. It was what she got every time she wanted to ask him for something, which made sense because Mom was a terrible cook. Dad was the real chef in the family, but too tired to cook most nights.

I went to the dining room and set three plates on the table. Mom came out of the kitchen to supervise.

“Did you get Aunt Alicia's new book yet?” I asked.

She nodded. “It's in the kitchen. Night Scandal, her usual historical stuff. If you ask me, she needs to come up with something original, like what I'm doing with my novel. It's all in the character development . . .”

I laid out the silverware while Mom babbled on about plots and subtext and symbolism. She was always talking about the alleged “masterpiece” she'd been working on for the past year, yet refused to show Dad and me.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. “I see you got Jade Tiger again. What are you asking Dad for this time?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Not that it's any of your business, but I want to spend Christmas in New York.”

“Wow, that will be so cool! I can't wait to see Aunt Alicia.”

“Actually,” Mom said, “I'll be going alone.”

“But it's Christmas!”

Mom picked up a knife and polished the blade furiously. “Did it ever occur to you that I might need a little time to myself?” She put the knife down and went back in the kitchen.

Time to herself? That was all she had. Mom practically lived in her office, and if she wasn't in there, she was in bed, or at one of her writing groups. Anything to avoid spending time with Dad and me. And when I did see her, all she did was yell or boss me around.

The front door opened. Dad walked in. He was in his mid-thirties like Mom, with thinning brown hair and a beer belly. A decade at the DMV had sucked most of the life out of him, but he always managed a little extra for me.

I ran into his arms and hugged him. “Daddy! I missed you.”

“Hi, Pumpkin.” Dad hugged me back, his big, gentle hand rustling my hair. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good,” I said, wishing I could tell him about Scott. “How was yours?”

“Better, now that I'm with you. Where's your mother?”

“In the kitchen.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “It's a Jade Tiger night.”

Dad's cheek muscle twitched. “Christ! What does she want this time?”

“To spend Christmas in New York without us.”

“Great.” Dad sighed. “Thanks for the warning.” He went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured a double vodka.

I followed and said, “I think you should let her go.”

He gave me a funny look. “Why would you say that?”

“Because we can spend Christmas together, just the two of us. I'll help you cook, and we can watch Rudolph and Frosty, and decorate the tree the way we want for once. It'll be fun.”

“We'll see,” Dad said, but that always meant no.

Dinner was tense. Mom waited for her chance to strike while Dad took his time, knowing what was coming. I ate my spicy orange chicken, kept my mouth shut, and waited for the fireworks.

After Dad shoveled the last spoonful of shrimp-fried rice into his mouth, Mom pounced. “Don, honey? How was dinner?”

Dad finished his second double vodka before answering. “Fine.”

Mom forced a smile. “You work so hard, dear, I wanted to make sure you had something special.”

Dad snorted. “What do you really want, Tina?”

“Well,” Mom said, “Alicia's divorce was finalized this week, and she needs my company to get through the holidays. I'd like to go to New York to be with her.”

“I see,” Dad said.

“I know it's short notice, but I haven't seen my sister in years.”

“What do you mean?” Dad asked. “You Skype with her all the time! Besides, we can't afford a trip right now.”

Mom glowered at him.

“Look,” Dad said, “why doesn't she fly here? That would solve everything.”

“You know Alicia hates flying. Especially after 9/11.”

“Everybody does,” he said, “but we don't have the money. End of discussion.”

Only it wasn't. Mom and Dad kept fighting. I grabbed a fortune cookie, cracked it open, and read the crumb-dusted paper. The message said:

 DO NOT MISTAKE TEMPTATION FOR OPPORTUNITY.

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