I can’t blame Arlo, either. I wasn’t the only one hurt when that happened, although Arlo is a master at being my rock and anchor and hiding his pain from me.
He’s had a lot of experience hiding pain over the years, but I usually can see through him.
“I’ll move his stuff inside,” Arlo says. “You get him into the house. Find out what happened.”
Despite already being four inches taller than me, Lucas leans on me as I guide him inside. He’s near hysterics and too upset to talk as I settle him on the sofa, where he curls up on his side, his head in my lap, like he used to when he was little.
My heart breaks for him. “What happened, sweetie?”
He shakes his head.
“Drugs?”
He shakes his head even harder. No, my son isn’t stupid, that much is certain. “Bad grades?” I ask.
He snorts. “No,” he softly says.
Well, maybe he’s still in the AP program, then.
“Do I have to play twenty questions with you on this?” I ask a couple of minutes later.
He rolls over and buries his face against my stomach. “Mommy, can Ipleasemove back home?” he whispers.
Hell. He hasn’t called me that in years. If I have a secret weak spot, it’s that.
I stroke his hair while not daring to hope this time. Last time, my heart was shattered when he played us to get into his father’s good graces.
Not the first time he’d manipulated us like that, either. Although that had been the worst time. Arlo’s right that, unfortunately, I can’t trust my son not to break my heart again.
But he’s stillmyson. Unless he’s done something he needs to be in jail for, I’ll never turn him away.
“Of course you can live here, sweetheart. I’d like to know what happened, though.”
He sniffles. “Can I go use the bathroom first?”
“Sure.”
He gets up and disappears down the hall. Arlo walks through with another load. He realizes Lucas is gone and gives me an arched eyebrow. I shrug in return.
“How many more bags?” I ask.
“Three.”
I walk outside to grab a bag, my head spinning. I know Lucas will eventually talk, when he’s ready.
At least, Ihopehe will.
Did he finally stand up to his father and call him out for his asshat behavior?
Maybe he finally caught Bill cheating on Mary. Wouldn’t be a shocker there, considering the man never stayed faithful to me during our marriage.
Then again, none of those would explain Bill’s cryptic comment about Lucas being a “freak.”
Arlo walks outside as I make it to the front door. “The pot of water’s boiling,” he tells me.
Shoot. “Oh, thanks.” I leave the bag of what feels like clothes inside by the entrance to the hallway and go dump linguini into the pot.
Meanwhile, I stand there in the kitchen, eyes closed, and curse Bill. He couldn’t have waited until Monday to throw this little temper tantrum, I suppose.
