Two days later, disrupting his new daytime sleep schedule, Luis woke up to go sign contracts for a new apartment.
It was his first outing on his own, but he couldn’t rely on Karim or Julien being available every time he left his house. Eventually he needed to stand on his own two feet.
No one followed him on the drive over though and, in under an hour, Luis had the keys to a new apartment.
On the drive back from the leasing office, a grocery store caught his attention. On a whim and feeling bold because he was out of the house, Luis made the turn. Julien and Karim had made a lot of effort to cook and provide for him, but he missed some of his own junk food snacks.
He made the trip quick, filling up a basket and trying to ignore the buzzing nervous energy he still had about being out in public. Being out had been hard before all of this had happened though. It was just something he always had to work at.
Luis rang his items up, relief swamping him as he left the register. It was a small thing, getting his own groceries, but the success still swelled in his chest. He’d done it, he’d–
“Luis!”
The shock of his name in that voice, made him freeze.
He was just outside the store doors, and in front of him, across the crosswalk, was his mother.
She was wearing a floral blouse and loose khaki pants; her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her face looked worn, tired.
She marched across the crosswalk to him, fury on her face.
The panic was momentarily choking, and then Luis forced it down and planted his feet. He’d spent a lifetime lettingher bulldoze him, bully him, and he didn’t want to be afraid anymore. He didn’t want to be a coward.
“Are you stalking me?” He demanded. Their city wasn’t that big, but the coincidence was too strong.
“I saw your car,” she started to explain.
He didn’t believe her. She was stalking him, he just hadn’t noticed.Shit. “I filed for a restraining order against you,” Luis said, cutting her off. “You can’t be near me.”
She sneered at him. “You think I give a shit about a stupid piece of paper? You’re myson.”
“You disowned me, I’m not your son,” his insides were shaking, but his voice was steady.
“You are,” she said, stepping forward. Luis stepped back. He wasn’t afraid, he just didn’t want her close enough to touch him. Around them people kept entering and leaving the store, but now they were getting curious looks. “Not the evil that’s taken root inside you, but we can fix that. I can help you.” She was between anger and imploring, like she couldn’t decide which method would get her what she wanted.
But Luis was done with all of it.
“No. You can’t help me, you can’t fix me.There’s nothing wrong with me!”Luis snapped. “I want–I want you to leave me alone. Stop stalking me, harassing me. Just leave me alone.”
“The devil has–” she started, and he couldn’t,couldn’tlisten to that anymore.
“I don’t care!”He yelled.
More eyes swiveled in his direction. He knew what this must look like. He was taller than his mother, bigger. He moved his hands behind himself and grasped them together as a gesture of nonviolence.
“I don’t care,” he said, this time more calmly than he felt. “I don’t care what the Bible or God has to say.I’m happy withwho I am.” Breath was heaving out of him as he met her eyes. “And I think you should leave me alone.”
Her face was pocked with fury. He had no doubt that if they’d been alone, she would’ve struck him then.
“You’re going to regret this,” she hissed.
“Okay,” Luis said, and took a side step to go around her.
Then he was crossing the road, hurrying toward his car and trying not to look back. She shouted after him, pelting curses in Spanish at his back. Luis got into his car, locked the doors, and took two tries to get his shaking hand to put the key in the ignition.
He didn’t drive directly back to Julien and Karim’s house. He instead headed in the opposite direction and wove the car down side streets and neighborhoods, checking in the rear view that she wasn’t following.
She already must know where they live, but in case she didn’t, if she really had just seen his car drive by, he would be careful.
