“An absolute nightmare, how about yours?”
“He’s great.Thank you for asking.”
For a minute, both of us say nothing.We watch the seagulls spin above our heads in swooping circles and the water in the distance.I think what I’ll miss about LA is the smell of the ocean.Something about the salt in the air feels almost therapeutic.The unmistakable clicking sound of a camera goes off, before another and another.I spy two guys approaching from the boardwalk.My mom waves, not able to shake the Southern in her, but unfortunately, they take it as an invitation, coming up right beside the fence to the restaurant.
“Levi, is this your mother?”
I lean back and smile.“Yeah, isn’t she pretty?”My mom blushes instantly, tucking her chin to her chest, embarrassed.
“Stunning!”the man replies.“How do you feel about the finale in a couple days?”
“I feel great.Can’t wait to win and go home.”
“California isn’t for you, huh?”
“Nah, I’ll be buried in Tennessee.”I stand, collecting what’s left of my sandwich, which looks like a whole salad, and my mom’s plate once she signals that she’s finished too.
“One last question.”I stop, trying my best to be polite.“How does your fiancée, Gabriella, feel about your mom flying in with Tate McGregor, who you were romantically involved with during the first part of the show?”My eyes slide to my mom, who looks like she’s seen a ghost.
“Levi!Levi!”The man’s calling my name, but I feel like I’m being sucked through a vortex.And it’s confirmed my mom did lie to me.Again.I knew this, of course, but I was hoping she would tell me herself.
“Alright, boys, that’s enough for today.”My mom stands, and surprisingly, they tip an imaginary hat and leave.
“Look, Levi, it was supposed to be a surprise.Don’t freak out.”
“Mom, you’re my mother, you’re not supposed to lie to me.”
“It wasn’t a lie...it was an omission.”
I shake my head and walk to the trash to dump the food; she follows behind quietly.I walk out of the restaurant onto the boardwalk.I can still see the cameraman up ahead, so I walk straight, transferring from cement to sand.I walk all the way down until the dry sand meets the wet, which is where I stop and sit.My mom takes the seat beside me.
“I know you’re mad.”
“I’m not mad,” I snap like a petulant teen.“I’m disappointed.Confused.I feel like I’m losing it.”
My mom wraps an arm around me, pulling me into her side.“Levi, I love you.I love you no matter what.Good choices or bad, I love you.Though, it might not be such a bad idea to start seeing...”
“Her name’s Tina.”I laugh and she does too.
“Seeing Tina again.Just to have a sounding board, and maybe, when you’re ready, you can call your dad too.”
“My dad?Why would I want to talk to him?”
She lets out a heavy sigh, eyes on the rolling tide.“Because he’s your dad.Because deep down, you love him more than you hate him, and because not forgiving him is starting to affect you.”We both sit with that for a long time.
“Okay,” I finally say.
“Okay?”she mimics, face unable to hide her shock.“I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.We had better get you back.”Pressing my feet into the sand, I stand first and then help my mom up.We trudge back up the beach towards the road as I text for a car.
“So, you flew with Tate, huh?”
“I was wondering how long it would take you to ask...”
“And...”
“And what?”
