Monty After Dark

Chapter 43

"So," my mother said, "this is your life?"

"Basically. Hockey, lacrosse, work, school, yearbook, girlfriend, dryland, drinking with the boys ... pretty standard."

"And Chantelle, your parents don't mind him staying over at your house?" The silence was spooky. Chan and I made eye contact in the rearview mirror.

"Chantelle doesn't live with her parents," I said, deciding not to elaborate.

"Grandparents? Aunts, uncles?"

"No," I said. Chan kept her eyes on the road and didn't say anything. "Chan lives on her own. She's 24."

"Oh." Now we exchanged panicked glances. That was my mother's entire reaction, oh? "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you'd be looking for an older woman figure in your life."

"No, it's not like that at all," I said. "We met and we hit it off right away, we have lots in common, Chan's parents don't talk to her, either. We take care of each other."

"Mrs. Monteleone," Chan said, eyes on the road, "I love your son. I love him more than anything in this world. I can't even begin to try to explain to you how torn up I feel when I think of how we shouldn't be together, but we've tried to end things, and we both end up worse off for it. I know it's not the most ... conventional relationship. But after everything I've been through in my life, I never thought I could trust anybody again, and Matt has made me see that I can." I could feel my throat closing up, and I had a hard time swallowing. I know how hard it was for her to say this stuff, and to hear her defending me to my mother, I knew then that being with her was the right thing to do, no matter how many people said it wasn't.

"Christina," I said. "If you knew what I was like before I met her ... You would have been ashamed of me. I was ashamed of myself. For the first time in my life, I'm actually proud of myself. I wake up in the morning and I feel like I'm doing something right. I'm not sure if Mel told you, but I got scouted tonight, by a scout from a Junior team. For god's sake, four months ago, I never would have even been friends with someone like Mel."

"And clearly, your father doesn't approve of this," my mother said, more a statement than a question.

"I don't give a shit. It's not like he's doing anything for me. I can't go back there. He's totally toxic."

We arrived back at the centre, and my mother and I both got out of the car. I walked her to the door.

"I'm sorry," she said, eyes sad and looking at the ground.

"For what?" I asked. "Dad's a psycho, it's not your fault."

"I'm sorry, for leaving you there with him. I wish I could have been there for you."

"I know," I replied. "If you were able, you would have stayed. He's not an easy person to live with. I can't do it, either."

"Look, I'm supposed to be moving into my new apartment a week from Sunday, maybe you and Chantelle could come give me a hand? I pay in pizza and pop," she said.

"Yes, definitely. I work on Sunday from noon to 5, but we can come by after that?"

"Sure, I'll text you the address."

After I watched her disappear inside, I got back into the car, and before Chan could put it in gear, I leaned over and kissed her hard.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," I whispered. I saw a tear in her eye, and I wiped it away with my thumb. "No, it's happy time. No crying. I know you think that you're not good, but you are. You're good to me. You're good for me. I meant what I said to my mother, she would've been ashamed if she met the old me. Matty 2.0 is a much better person. And I have you to thank for that."