He slouched in his chair, fleeting panic racing across his face as he said, “God, Dad. What’d he do now?”
I quickly shook my head. “No, kid, it’s not your dad. I haven’t heard from your dad since all that went down on the front walk. And like I said then, your dad is not gonna do anything you don’t want him to do, I’ll see to that. But I do have something to talk to you about, and it’ll require me trusting that you actually are growin’ up and I can tell you what’s gotta happen. Then we can talk it out however you need to do that.”
He came right out of his slump, straightening his shoulders and keeping eye contact.
My little man.
“Hit me,” he ordered.
I wanted to laugh or at least grin, but he was being serious and I had to give him that.
“Right, okay, you know that guy who lives down the way that gives off a bad vibe, the one who was bangin’ on Tilly’s door?”
Ethan nodded.
“Well, somethin’ is goin’ down. I don’t know a lot about it, but Merry doesn’t have a good feeling about him and he’s a cop, so his feelings are usually smart to pay attention to. Until he figures out what’s going down, he wants us to stay with him. So, today, we’re goin’ to his place where we’re gonna stay for a while.”
Ethan just sat there.
I did too.
“Is that it?” he asked.
“Well, yeah,” I answered.
He went back to eating, but before shoveling in another load of egg mush, he muttered, “Cool.”
Cool?
“Uh, is that it?” I asked his question.
He looked to me. “Is what it?”
“Do you have any questions?”
“Like what?”
“Like, how long we’re staying with Merry? And the answer to that is, I don’t know, but hopefully not long. Just until that’s sorted.”
“Okay,” Ethan said, then went back to his bowl.
I stared at the top of his head.
Then I asked, “Are you worried about anything?”
He looked at me again. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Anything,” I told him. “Merry and me haven’t been seein’ each other very long, but this isn’t like we’re moving in with him. And that guy freaked you out. I don’t want you to hold back if something’s bothering you or you have a question you want answered.”
Ethan tipped his head to the side. “Are you and Merry dating?”
I thought that was a weird question because he knew the answer.
Still, I gave him that answer. “Yeah.”
“No, Mom. I mean, are you dating or are you boyfriend and girlfriend?”
It kind of freaked me out my ten-almost-eleven-year-old son knew the difference.
I couldn’t focus on that right then. I had to focus on his question.
Merry and me hadn’t officially had the conversation, but I did feel it was accurate to answer, “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“So, that guy is bad news. Merry heard about him. His woman is livin’ on the same street, and we’re movin’ in with him until he deals with it,” Ethan declared. “It’s not a big deal. It’s just Merry.”
I stared at my kid again.
Ethan must have misinterpreted my stare because he went on to explain, “If that guy lived close to Feb before Colt married her, Feb would move in with Colt. Same with Vi and Cal. Merry’s like them. So…” He shrugged. “Whatever.”
“Whatever?” I asked.
My son didn’t elucidate.
He asked, “Does Merry have a nice place?”
I told him the truth.
“No. It sucks.”
“Bummer,” he muttered.
“It has a decent TV,” I shared.
Ethan shoveled egg mush in his mouth and asked through it, “Can we take the Xbox?”
“That and a skillet,” I confirmed.
Ethan mouth scrunched to the side in confusion. “A skillet?”
“Merry’s been more interested in riding his Harley and catching bad guys than buying a decent skillet.”
Ethan grinned an egg-saltine-salt-and-pepper-mush grin.
My little man but still my boy.
God, I had the awesomest kid in the universe.
“You’re the awesomest kid in the universe,” I declared.
His eyes narrowed. “Are you gonna get gooey?”
“No. Except tellin’ you you’re the awesomest kid in the universe.”
He shoved his spoon into his bowl and scooped up more mush, muttering, “Already knew that.”
I grinned.
Then I grabbed my phone.
I texted, Ethan’s good with the extended sleepover as long as we can bring the Xbox with our skillet, and hit send.
Considering my man was embroiled in a fresh murder investigation that involved a woman I’d seen once, in her nightie, having an argument with my dickhead neighbor, I was not surprised his reply took an hour and a half.
When I got it, it was, Xbox affirmative. He get to school okay?
Seriously.
Totally.
If we went the distance, I so was going to be able to talk him into more kids.
Yes, boss. FYI, we’ve been accomplishing that difficult maneuver since the third day of kindergarten when he quit pitching a fit because his momma was dropping him off with bitches who made him take naps, I returned.
Whatever. Come by the station. Need to give you keys. Leave the Xbox by the TV. No one touches my TV but me. I’ll deal with it when I get home. Be home before you go to work so I can see to Ethan.