The price of Roses

Chapter Eleven: The connections

J.R sat inside one of the dinner’s booths as he attempted to look over the large, plastic menu that was neatly placed on the table top of their area. Was a nice little place to eat; it was his favorite place, ever since he could remember. The cook new his family and was always surprised to see how much J.R had grown. Usually he would hate this, having felt like due to him being the youngest he would forever be treated like a child.

 Leaning forward he tried to  ignore the odd tension going on between his parents as if pretending that nothing had happen between them two a month ago. Suppressing matters that was too much to handle seemed to be his thing since he turned eighteen. Though it was his birthday he could tell that his father was trying really hard to keep the peace within the family.

 It was quite at the table, his elder brother didn’t join them. He had better things to do or sudden had plans ones their mother hinted of wanting to do something family wise. A nice rejection for his mother it seemed like no one could forgive her for stepping outside of the marriage twice within the two months.

The brave moment came. J.R so loved his mother that he forgave her but, he didn’t know how to say it. Bad with words he was. Then again, J.R wasn’t supposed to know about the events that happened. J.R himself didn’t know how he couldn’t have, when his parent shout and yell they really get into it.

 J.R cleared his throat and looked over towards his mother’s menu as if there was something wrong with his. Trying to place her into the loving mother position that she was of course but, allowing his father to see it. If anything he didn’t wish for his parents to separate, he would break down if they did. The one thing that kept J.R grounded through his tough school year and now with the supernatural that he refused to believe despite what has happened so far.

  “Trying something new or are you ordering something different? His mother asked giving her son a soft loving smile. His mother was lovely, for she didn’t look her age of forty eight, she once had a high future of an acting career but allowed it to dissolve once pageant with his elder brother. 

 J.R rested his cheek on to his mother’s arm due to him slumping over like a child. “Hmmm, I think I’ll try something new”, he said thinking looking over the menu. “Maybe a steak burger with mushrooms”, he said thoughtfully.

“Oh, steak? Someone is growing up”, she smiled happily. “I think I’ll have the same”, she said to J.R.

 J.R watched her mother’s deep brown eyes nervously look over to his father as he sat with his large hands cuffed over a medium sized cup of coffee. Tired eyes looked into the depths of the no moving caffeine lost inside a world of his own.  He was like that since he found out of his mother’s affairs.

 “Dear, what are you having? J.R watched as if watching a thriller in the midst of night. His eyes darted between the both of them, he couldn’t help but to sit there awkwardly as if waiting for anything to happen. “Dad? J.R called out to him. Still… nothing happened.

 “Dear are you-

“Don’t call me that”, the deep voice of his father’s blurted out from his trance.