Nov 19

“Hey Mom” Todd kissed her on the cheek as his got into the car. Abby finally let him sit in the front. He was covered in dirt, not because the coach made them practice in the rain or because he was tackling everyone in his path but because Todd knew how much it would enrage his mother. She deserves it, he thought to himself having been convinced that she was having an affair. This explained her constant lateness and scattered state of being. He knew his mom thought he was still only eight but even an eight year old could sense that something was off in the family.

Todd was a spitting image of his father with blonde hair and green eyes, the sort of look Abby had wished to be born with. She had thought of sending her family a picture of him, it had been four years since they had spoken.

“Hey hon, how was practice?”

“Fine.” Abby gave her son a once over. He was covered in dirt. She tried to reprioritize her evening to include taking the stains out of her son’s clothing. So for as far as she had traveled and all the fame it may have gotten her she had essentially managed to turn completely into her mother worrying about stains setting in and fighting with her husband about trips to the grocery store. This restlessness, it was exhausting but she was trapped in between worlds and wasn’t sure which deserved to continue.

Abby turned the heat on higher in the car feeling a chill. She was always cold, always afraid of getting sick and constantly oblivious of her surroundings. Todd tried to ignore the blasting heat but he was already sweating.

“Mom, really?”

“What?”

“It’s a billion degrees in here”

“Sorry hon”, she turned the heat down slightly and sighed. “I’m making eggplant parms tonight”

“Cool”.

“I thought you liked those”, Abby felt about the same. She wondered if maybe she shouldn’t insist Richard meet them at a restaurant, anything would be better than heading back to the house. She missed the turn that would bring them back to the high way and just kept driving.

“Where are we going?”

“Slight detour”, Before she could even think through this crazy plan she found herself pulling into Talia’s driveway and parking. Todd looked confused but followed his mother as she walk determined to the front door.