by T. A. Roth
Did he just say mom? This isn’t the dream scenario for meeting his family.
“Your Tio Amos called me. He was concerned about you handling this on your own. He figured you wouldn’t tell me, and he was right.”
She’s tall with dark brown hair and looks to be in her late thirties. She’s stunning, and if he didn’t call her mom, I would think she was his older sister. Her light brown eyes narrow in on our joined hands. She steps forward and puts her hand out to me.
“Hello, I’m Elizabeth Biram, Benjamin’s mother. And you are?”
Her face is free of emotion and the formality in her tone makes me take a step back.
“I’m Ari. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Biram.”
She nods at me curtly. “Benjamin, do you think it’s appropriate to bring a stranger with you in your grandmother’s condition,” she says still assessing me.
Ben squeezes my hand and glares at her.
“¡Cálmate!, Elizabeth. I asked Ben to bring her to meet me. Come over here, mija.” Ben’s grandmother waves me over and puts out her hand. I walk toward her warily and place my hand on hers. She sandwiches my hand and smiles at me happily.
“Aye mijo que belleza.” She smiles up at Ben then looks back at me. “I’m Rosemarie. It’s very nice to meet you, Ari.”
I want to hug her. She’s so warm and welcoming, the complete opposite of the ice queen.
“It’s very nice to meet you, too.” I look over my shoulder, and Ben’s mother is still glaring at me.
“Mom, can I speak to you out in the hall for a minute?” Ben asks. She lets out an irritated sigh and walks toward the door.
“We’ll be right back,” Ben says as he walks out behind her. I nod and watch as they make their way out. The last thing I want to do is get in the middle or cause any more stress to the situation.
“Don’t let her intimidate you, mija.” Rosemarie’s voice breaks through my thoughts.
I turn to look at her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”
She squeezes my hand gently. “Nonsense. I asked Ben to bring you to meet me. Elizabeth is the one who came here unannounced. She should be sorry. I couldn’t wait to meet the girl who puts that smile on my handsome boy’s face.”
I smile at her shyly. “Thank you. I couldn’t wait to meet you, either. Ben has told me a lot about you. He loves you very much.” She looks at me with glossy eyes and smiles.
BEN
I walk out into the hall behind my mother. How dare she just show up and question who I bring to the hospital. She’s never around long enough to care what I do. I try to control my anger before telling her something I may regret later. I also don’t want to make a scene in the hall. She walks a few feet away from the room and turns to look at me with her arms crossed.
“You wanted to speak to me?” She’s staring at me angrily like she’s being inconvenienced.
“Why didn’t you call? I have this handled. You didn’t have to come,” I ask.
“You’re my son. I shouldn’t have to ask permission to come see you. Your uncle should be here, work has him detained. Your grandmother is not your responsibility. You should be concentrating on your studies. And who is that girl?”
Every word out of her mouth is making me angrier. I close my eyes and count to ten. I’ve never lashed out at her, and today’s not the right time. I take in a deep breath.
“That girl is my girlfriend. I would appreciate it if you treated her with respect. As for my grandmother, I will always take responsibility for her. She did the same for me when you decided that finding a replacement for my father was more important.”
She gasps and presses a hand to her chest. The truth hurts.
“How dare you speak to me that way? I am your mother,” she spits.
“The woman in that room has been more of a mother to me than you’ve ever been. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Nana’s dinner is getting cold. I’ll call you.” So much for not lashing out. I turn to walk back into the room, and she grabs my elbow to stop me.
I turn to face her, and she’s crying. Seeing her cry used to work, but now I’m old enough to understand that she uses those tears to manipulate me. She pulls a handkerchief from her purse and blots her eyes. All for dramatic effect. I have to keep myself from rolling my eyes.
“I’m sorry. My intention wasn’t to upset you. I was just worried about you. I thought I could help. I love you.” I believe that deep down she does love me, she’s always just loved herself more.
“I love you too, Mom. I have this handled. I’ll call you.” I turn away, tired of her dramatics. She’s taken up enough of my time.
As I walk into my grandmother’s room, I hear her and Ari laughing. I watch them for a bit, letting the sound of their laughter calm my foul mood.
“Are you girls ready to eat?” They both jump at the sound of my voice and laugh even harder.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
Ari wipes at a stray tear. ”Your grandmother was telling me about the time you decided you wanted to be Superman and refused to wear anything but a blanket tied around your neck and your underwear.”
I can’t help but laugh; she’s been saving this story to embarrass me. Too bad I have no shame.
“He was my favorite superhero.” I shrug my shoulders.
“It lasted about a week. Elizabeth begged me to talk to him. She couldn’t leave the house because he refused to put clothes on,” my grandmother tells Ari.
“So, how did you get him to stop?” she asks.
“I climbed the tree in our backyard and jumped. I realized I couldn’t fly when I hit the ground and twisted my ankle. When it wouldn’t magically heal itself, I decided to hang up the cape.” I look at her giving my best puppy dog eyes.
She laughs harder. “Aww. I’m sorry, Superman.” I pull up a chair and sit next to her. She leans in and kisses my cheek still giggling.
I look up, and Nana is smiling fondly at both of us. I’m glad that I am able to lighten her mood. It’s been a rough day. I place the soup and crackers we brought her on her tray. We eat our dinner and visit for a while. I notice the pain medication starting to take effect so we gather our things to leave.
“We’re going to get going, Nana, so you can rest. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I lean over and give her a hug and kiss.
She squeezes me tightly. “Thank you, mijo. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Ari, it was nice meeting you.”
Ari leans in to kiss her cheek and hugs her goodbye. “Nice meeting you, too.”
ARI
Ben leads me out of the room as we say our final goodbyes. As we round the corner into the hall, he pulls me into his chest and lets out an exhausted breath. I squeeze my arms around him burying my face into his chest. He doesn’t need me to ask him if he’s okay. He’s not. The one woman who has stood by his side is fighting for her life. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling. I run my fingers lightly up and down his spine to calm him. After a few moments, I pull my face away and he leans in to rest his forehead on mine.
“Thank you.”
I kiss his lips. “You’re welcome.”
We walk back to the car in silence. He holds my hand, tightening his grip occasionally. We get into the car, and he leans his head back against the headrest. He closes his eyes letting out a long sigh. He’s lost in thought and I keep quiet, letting him work out whatever he needs to.
“I’m sorry about my mom,” he says quietly. Yeah, I’m sorry, too. She’s a bitch.
“You don’t have to apologize. She didn’t know who I was. I shouldn’t have co-”
“Bullshit.” He opens his eyes and turns to me. “I needed you there with me. My grandmother wanted me to bring you. She was the one in the wrong, barging in like that,” he says angrily.
I nod and reach over to squeeze his hand, not knowing what to say. Who doesn’t want their boyfriend’s parents to like them? I guess I won’t be that lucky.
He looks down at our joined hands and smiles. “Yeah. She is. You two seemed to hit it off.”
I lean across the center console, wrap my hand around his neck, and pull him in for a kiss. He groans and deepens it. We release the tension of the day in that kiss. I smile, pulling away first.
“So, you think I can get you to dress up like Superman later?”
He chuckles and pokes me in the rib making me laugh. “Oh, you got jokes.”
BEN
I appreciate her trying to lighten the mood. The last twenty-four hours have been a complete shit storm. I couldn’t have gotten through it without her. She’s becoming my new constant, and I’m not going to lie, the feeling I get in my chest every time we’re together still terrifies me. You can’t get hurt if you never put yourself out there. I’ve handed her my heart. I just hope she handles it with care.
She still doesn’t completely trust me, but she wants to. I’m doing my best to convince her otherwise. The way she smiled even when my mother was treating her like shit, just broke my heart and she doesn’t deserve that. I’ll do whatever I can to protect her from anyone who makes her feel like we shouldn’t be together, including my mother.
Exhaustion has set in. I’m physically and mentally drained. As much as I would love to spend the night wrapped up in Ari, I really need to get the jump on clearing out my room.
ARI
We drive the short distance to my apartment. The subject of his mother isn’t brought up again, which I appreciate. I’m still not sure how I feel about the whole situation. He pulls up to his usual parking spot and looks over at me.
“I’m going to go home.” He has dark circles under his eyes and looks exhausted. I must look confused because he continues before letting me respond. “I have an early class tomorrow, and I need to pick up some more clothes and start clearing out my room. I was hoping I could stay with you until they let my grandmother out of the hospital. I have a full day of classes tomorrow, but I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday. If it’s an inconvenience, I could just dr-” I lean over and press my lips to his mouth to shut him up. He smiles against them.
“You were starting to ramble. Of course, you can stay as long as you need to. I wish you didn’t have to drive home tonight, but I understand. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I give him a quick kiss and exit the car. He rolls down the window to watch me walk in.
“I’ll text you when I get home,” he calls out after me. I give him a quick wave and walk over to my front door.
My apartment is so quiet without him here. It’s funny how you can get used to someone being around so quickly. I send a quick text message to my mom with an update and promise to call her tomorrow. It’s been the longest twenty-four hours.
After changing and cleaning up, I crawl into bed just as my phone alerts me of an incoming text.
Ben: I’m home.
Me: That was fast. You okay?
Ben: I’d be better if I was lying next to you.
I feel exactly the same way. I miss him, and he’s only been away from me for thirty minutes. This is bad. I can’t turn into that girl. Who am I kidding . . . I’m already that girl.
Me: I wish you were here, too. Can I get a rain check for tomorrow night?
Ben: Deal. Have a good night.
Me: You, too.
I set my alarm, turn the bedside lamp off, and pass out.
Monday morning comes too quickly. I hit snooze for the third time and pull the covers over my head. I really don’t want to go to work today. I lay there for a few more minutes before getting out of bed. It’s a low maintenance kind of day; I’m just not in the mood.
Traffic is a nightmare this morning, adding to my already foul mood. I decide to give Vonne a call to pass the time. I haven’t spoken to her since we went out on Friday, and I’m dying to find out what happened with Eli.
I activate the car’s Bluetooth and press her name.
“Hello,” she answers groggily.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up. I thought you had a morning class.”
“Ugh . . . No, that’s tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. Go back to sleep and call me later.”
“No, it’s okay. I won’t be able to. What’s up?”
“Nothing. I’m stuck in traffic, and I wanted to know what happened with Eli?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. The whole thing is weird. One minute he’s into me, and the next, he’s pulling away.”
“What do you mean?”
“I finally kissed him on Friday.”
“I know. We saw you.”
She starts to laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Ben and I were on our way back to the table, and we saw you guys all over each other. We were leaving anyway, that’s why I just sent a text.”
“Yeah, I was wondering what happened to you guys. Anyway, everything went well. We kept the rest of the night PG-13. It didn’t go much further than what you guys saw. We left Matador shortly after you did and went back to his place and then all of a sudden he kind of blew me off.”
“How so?”
“He made up some excuse about having to get up early to play golf with his dad. I don’t know; it was just weird. I haven’t spoken to him since. He’s just sent me a few texts.”
“That is weird. He seems really into you. Maybe he’s just been busy.”
“Yeah, well, that makes two of us. I don’t really have the time to stress about it too much anyway. I’ll just see what happens.”
“I’ll let you know if Ben mentions anything.”
“Okay. How are you guys doing? Everything good?”
I let out a long sigh. “Where do you want me to start?”
“Oh, man. What happened?”
“He spent the night after my sister’s barbecue.”
“I’m so bummed I couldn’t make it. Tell your sister I’m sorry for me,” she interrupts.
“Oh, no worries, she understands. Anyway, we get a call the next morning that his grandmother was rushed to the hospital.”
“Oh, my God, is she okay?”
“She’s stable. They’re keeping her for the next couple of days for observation, but she was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.”
“Oh man, Ari. I’m so sorry. Oh, my God, Ben must be a mess. How is he doing?”
“I think he’s in shock. He took me to the hospital to meet her, and she is so nice and loving. The whole situation just sucks. Oh and I met his mom.”
“What? How was she?”
“She’s really pretty. She looks like she can be Ben’s sister. I don’t think she likes me.”
“Aww, crap really?”
“Oh, yeah. You should have seen the way she looked at me. She asked Ben why he brought a stranger to see his grandmother. You could cut the tension with a knife. Ben asked to talk to her in the hall. I’m not sure what he told her, but she didn’t come back.”
“Holy shit. That’s crazy.”
“Crap, my exit. I better let you go. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“No problem. Keep me posted on everything and call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, friend. Talk to you lates.”
I pull into the parking structure and feel a little lighter after venting to Vonne. I send Ben a text before heading up to the office.
Me: Can’t wait to see you tonight. Hope you have a good day. :)
He texts me back almost immediately.
Ben: Back at you. I miss you.
I can’t stop the goofy grin I get after reading that text. I take the elevator up to my floor and decide that a very strong cup of coffee is in order.
BEN
I tossed and turned most of the night. I missed having Ari next to me. I hate to admit how much I needed her last night. The reality of my grandmother’s diagnosis finally sunk in. She looked good yesterday, laughing and joking with Ari. It al
most made me forget how serious the situation is. She’s dying, and I can’t do anything to change it.
I grab my bag to head out to my morning class when I get a text from Ari. I needed to hear from her this morning. I smile and quickly respond. I don’t want to chance running into Maria and Jake later, so I take my stuff to spend a few nights with Ari. I make sure to lock my bedroom door and go downstairs.
As I pass the kitchen, I run into Paul.
“Hey, man. How’s is going? Haven’t seen you in a while,” he asks.
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, you’re probably better off. Maria and Jake have been putting on a show. They’ve been all over each other, man. I guess she’s trying to prove to everyone that she’s over you.”
I shrug my shoulders, not knowing what he expects me to say. He’s a good guy, but I know he still likes to gossip. I don’t want anything I say twisted into some rumor.
“Well, I better head out, man. I don’t want to be late for class. I’ll be gone a few days, got some personal shit to take care of. If anything comes up, just call or text. I’ll have my cell on.”
“Sure, bro. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, man. I’ll see you later.”
I’m grateful that Monday morning classes aren’t too popular. I get lucky and find a parking spot near my building. I make it to my Political Science class with five minutes to spare.
The rest of the day goes off without a hitch. My last class lets out early, so I decide to drive over to the hospital to visit with Nana until Ari gets off work. As I get into my car, my phone starts to ring. I pick it up without looking at the screen.
“Hello.”
“Benjamin?”
Why didn’t I look at the damn screen? I knew she would call. She couldn’t leave without getting the last word.
“Mother.”
“I was calling to invite you to dinner. Your father and I will be leaving tomorrow, and I didn’t want to end our visit on such a sour note. He wants to see you.”
My father? Really? She can’t be fucking serious.
“You mean Andrew? My father has been gone for fourteen years, Mother,” I say sarcastically.
She sighs in frustration. “You know what I meant. I don’t know why you’re always so curt.”