Feeling guilty about eavesdropping, I scrolled on my phone, pretending to read texts.
But I couldn’t miss his voice, thick with irritation: “Look, we don’t need lawyers. Just give her what she wants.”
30
LUKE
After hanging up,it felt like every ounce of energy had been drained from my body. The half-eaten meal in front of me sat forgotten, steam long since faded into the air. I had lost my appetite.
Anna’s voice was a soothing whisper. “Everything okay?”
Glancing up, I met her eyes, so full of concern that it nearly bowled me over. Without even realizing it, I began to talk. “That was my manager. My mom’s asking for money again.”
Anna waited, giving me room to breathe. I sat down at the table. Encouraged by her silence, I pressed on. “It’s not the first time. My mom’s got a drinking problem.”
Sighing, I looked away, a bitter taste in my mouth. “She wasn’t always like this. Growing up, she was more of a wild spirit. Met my dad in a bar, got pregnant, and they thought, ‘Why not, let’s do this.’ For a while, she tried playing house. The first time she left my dad and me? I was six. I remember the exact day she came back because it was my seventh birthday party. That time, she stayed only six months before leaving again. My dad and I planned the biggest party ever for my eighth birthday, hoping she would come back for it. She didn’t.”
I drew in a deep breath, remembering how hope had surged in me like a tide every time the door opened that day. But my hopes had been crushed again and again. “The next time she came back, I was nine. She stayed for a couple of years, but it just didn’t stick. After that, she would come back periodically and stay for a few months.”
When I was a child, I never knew what really happened during her absence. “When she’d disappear, Dad would come up with these wild stories, saying she was helping a sick relative or working in an orphanage in Africa. I only found out much later that she was, you know, partying it up. She had inherited some rental properties from her parents. She wasn’t mega-rich but had enough to hop around and enjoy life. And when the cash ran low? She’d drop back into our lives, refill the coffers, and then off she’d go again.”
Anna’s eyes filled with tears. “How could a mom just abandon her son like that? I’m so sorry. Did your dad ever find someone else?”
“Never. Dad was incredible. He always defended her, even though I could see how much it destroyed him every time she left. He was completely in love with her, and she knew it. Used it against him.”
A lump formed in my throat, but the words kept coming. “We pretended everything was fine. When it was just me and Dad, I wasn’t about to be the one to put that broken look in his eyes, so we never talked about it. Then Mom would come back for a while, and we’d all play pretend, like we were some normal, happy family.” I swallowed hard. “Our whole life was a lie.”
I paused, gathering my thoughts. “When I got into Brown, my dad was on cloud nine. But leaving him to go off to college? Even though it was only an hour away, that just about broke me.”
Anna must have picked up on the conflict in my voice because her tone turned compassionate. “He must’ve wanted what was best for you. And didn’t you mention that you took care of him after hitting it big?”
“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck, a sheepish grin forming. “I got into modeling while I was at Brown. Paid my way through college with it.”
“Modeling? And then you just jumped to acting?”
I chuckled. “It was quite the journey. In my senior year, I tried out for a play just for fun. It turns out that one of the dads in the audience was a movie producer. He saw something in me. He called it the ‘it factor,’ and cast me in his next film. That film wasThe Boyfriend Test.”
My smile faltered a bit. “After I became a success, the very first thing I did was buy Dad a house. Not just any house—a massive one just outside Boston, where I grew up. Meanwhile, I was in this tiny apartment in Hollywood. Every time things looked up for me, I’d send him more. He… he was so proud. He passed away three years ago.”
The empathy in Anna’s eyes undid me. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
“Man, I miss him so much. You know, after I bought that house for him, I flew back to surprise him. And guess who was there? Mom.” I ran a hand through my hair, remembering my frustration. “Dad and I had this massive argument. I made it clear I wouldn’t drop by if she were around. I was such a jerk.”
“Luke, you’re not?—”
“No, seriously. Sometimes I think about it and… Why couldn’t I just let him have his moment of happiness?”
“You were just watching out for him. You didn’t want your mom to take advantage of him again. It’s like you were stepping in his shoes, protecting him the way he always protected you.”
I could feel my blood boiling. “And now she contacts me, and it’s like she believes we have a normal mother-son relationship, as if she hasn’t been absent my entire life. I can’t lie anymore. I won’t.”
“You’re right, you shouldn’t have to,” Anna said gently. “Pretending everything’s okay isn’t fair to you. You’ve got every right to feel the way you do, and you don’t owe anyone a performance, especially not her. Your feelings, your truth, they matter.”
I watched her in the dim light. We’d shared so many moments that made me laugh, but this was different. There was no pretending left between us. No script, no disguise. Just her and me, and the kind of silence that makes you realize what you want.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever told this to.” My chest ached. I didn’t know when she’d become the person I trusted most, but I knew, without question, that I didn’t want it to end.
She gave a small, understanding smile. “My mom always told me, when you split your troubles, they become half as big.”
