Page 58 of Allegiance
Again, he swiped his fingers through his hair. “I guess. She won’t return my texts or answer my calls. She’s skittish with commitment.”
Her hearty laugh put a grin on his face. “And you’re not? Ever since you divorced Trisha, you’ve closed yourself off from any chance of finding happiness with a woman. This is the first time since your divorce that I’ve seen you caring about someone enough to be annoyed at her.”
“Yeah, I get the irony, Mom. I thought Lena was different, but then she pulls this ghosting shit on me, and it reinforces what I know—women can’t be trusted.”
“I’m a woman. Do you trust me?”
Tank grimaced. “That’s different, Mom.”
“No, it’s not. There are a lot of parents who aren’t there for their kids.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Look at your Aunt Martha. She was more interested in dancing every weekend than she was in her kids. How many times did Justin and Amy come over for dinner or sleep over when their mother was carousing around?”
“Yeah, Aunt Martha sucked as a mom.”
“Trisha was a lousy wife, and Martha was a selfish mother. There are good and not so good people out there, but just because you happened to have married one who was rotten, doesn’t mean all women are that way. I know Trisha hurt you, but you can’t give up on having a happy, loving relationship because of her. If you do that, you’re giving her a whole lot of power.”
“I guess. But Lena obviously doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Did something happen?”
“No, and that’s the fu—weird part. Things were cool between us, and then, she just stopped responding to me.”
“Do you like her?”
Propping his elbows on his knees, he rested his chin in his hands. “Yeah.”
“Then find her and ask what the problem is. Why do you young people make things so complicated?”
“I think she got spooked. Her parents were killed in a plane crash when—”
His mother gasped. “That’s horrible.”
“It is. I think she’s afraid to get close to anyone for fear of losing them too.”
“So you’re both coming to the table with some big issues—you’re letting your divorce determine your future, and she’s letting the grief of loss keep her from living.”
“I guess.”
His mother grabbed for his hand and squeezed it with a surprisingly firm grip. “Go talk to her. You owe it to her and yourself. And, if I’m being honest, I want to see you settled down with a good woman before I die.”
“Mom—”
“I know you don’t like it when I say those things, but death is a part of life. Any mother would want to know her children will be okay once she’s gone. Promise me you’ll talk to her.”
“I don’t know…”
“Make your mother happy.”
“And here comes the guilt trip.”
“If it works, then yes.”
“Hello, Tank,” Myra said as she walked into the room.
“Hey,” he replied, smiling at her.
She bent down and adjusted his mother’s shawl. “Are you two having a pleasant visit?”
“She was ready to guilt trip me before you walked in.”
