And I wasn’t sure I was right until they brought me back to the shop and there was one woman, beautiful, tough as nails, chainsmoking a cigarette as she looked at the engine of a Harley.
“Hello, Ma.”
Shotgun grunted in surprise, but it was her all right.
She took one long drag of her cigarette and stood up. Tall for a woman, bleach-blonde hair tied back in a French braid.
“Abraham. I see you finally came over to visit your ma.”
Wait, what the--
“Get out,” she told the rest of them.
“But—” Shotgun protested.
“Get out. You too. I want to talk to my boy.”
I could see she was leading Wheelers around by the nose and I leaned against the counter as she shooed them all out.
“I’ll be fine. This is my boy. Now, Bones, what’ve you got to say to me?”
Well, this was my damn moment. I fucking hated feelings.
“I came all this damn way because, fuck, would’ve been nice to know you were alive or dead.”
Her kohl-lined eyes narrowed, assessing me.
“Leaving had nothing to do with you. Everything to do with your daddy.”
That was a heavy statement, and I didn’t need to know more. I knew what that meant.
“Would’ve been nice to have some warning.”
“Son, I didn’t leave until I knew you were almost big enough to hurt your daddy. Knew it wouldn’t be long until you whooped his ass.”
“I wish you’d told me he was abusive. I would’ve kept trying until I killed him.”
She sucked in another long drag of the cigarette.
“I know you would have, baby. That’s why I left. Wanted you to be pissed at me instead of dead. I knew you’d do it in your own time.”
Fuck. It felt like I was about 900 years old and there was a 900 pound weight on my chest.
“I told your brother where I was going and how to contact me. Thought all these years that you had taken your daddy’s side.”
“No,” I said, feeling jagged knives in my throat. “I hated that bastard. And Grease didn’t give me any message. I had no idea why you’d left.”
Ma gave me a twisted, bitter smile.
“Well, ain’t that a shitstain for you. Asshole. Well, how did you find me then?”
“My ol lady said I should try. Polly.”
I felt so old as dirt and drained as hell, and all I wanted was to see my ol lady’s face again and bury my lips in that soft crook of her neck and feel her legs wrapped around my waist.
“And why did you come looking for me?”
“Because I should have done it a long time ago. I assumed you didn’t want to have anything to do with us. Made me bitter as hell when I should have put aside my pride.”
