Restless Serenade

Part 2

"'Stella? Have you seen me blue suede loafers love?"

Mi and I were packing. Okay, I was already packed, and Miles was rummaging through his wardrobe. He was leaving tomorrow and of course, he hadn't packed everything yet. All his shirts and trousers were packed away in his stand up case, but he'd yet to wrap up the important things like shoes...and underwear.

"Last time you wore those was Christmas."

"Really?"

"Yes, you said they went with that orange jacket you insisted on wearing...Alex's party?"

He poked his head out of the closet, pointing the toe of an alligator boot at me.

"Hey, it's burnt orange,okay. Big difference." He scolds, ducking back into the abyss.

"Yes, one is louder, but it's still orange."

"Focus, love! Blue. Suede. Loafers."

As soon as I'm about to approach, the aforementioned boot comes flying at my head. I catch it before it lands on our clean bed, and stand in the closet door, arms crossed. He's crouched down now, looking through his shoe cubby. It was usually organized, but anytime we packed for long trips, our closet was guaranteed to look like a bomb had gone off. Which is what it looked like now, all for a blue pair of shoes.

"Did you check on my side?"

"No, why would they be there?"

"I was practically carrying you home that night, I might have put them away with my things in the suitcase."

I remembered that day so vividly. It was one of the biggest parties I'd ever been to. It was the first time I'd been back to California in a while, and I was excited to see my mom, maybe an old friend or two. The only reason I'd left LA was because there were already plenty of actors there, and I wanted to be on a stage. The lights shining on my face, the ten second costume changes, the singing, and the family you made while doing a production. I wanted that. It was Broadway or bust.

Being back home was surreal. My mom still lived in Pasadena, where I grew up, and I was so ready to go see her. Apparently she had a new boyfriend, and I needed to meet him. What she didn't know is that she was going to meet mine too.

My mom loved Miles, as most people do when they meet him.

" 'ello Mum, great to meet ya. I'm ready for the embarrassing photos whenever you are." He said upon hugging her, whispering that last part.

They swayed in place like they'd done it a thousand times before, my mom cooing and fawning over his accent. I couldn't help the little spark of pride, and satisfaction I felt seeing that. But it hadn't lasted long.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming? Why didn't you tell me about him?"

"I thought I'd surprise you!" I had tried to save myself, but it didn't work. My half hearted smile and raised shoulders didn't convince her. She'd asked Miles if he'd wanted anything to drink, and pulled me aside as he sat in the kitchen with my cat Cici and a Coke, petting her chin the way she liked. He even knew how to work a different species to its knees.

"I'd like to know my daughter has a boyfriend before she brings him home. That and I would have put something nicer on..."

She'd been painting when we'd showed up, her dirty UCLA shirt covered in splatters, her jeans holey and dusty. My mom wore many hats, but when she wasn't painting, or sewing, or baking (terribly might I add) she worked for UCLA's Television department. When I was little she worked for our local weather station, working behind the scenes, turning knobs, adjusting scripts, making sure everyone looked good. But that wasn't the case in this instance. Because she was making me look pretty bad.