Watching her go, I can’t help but wonder if she’s right. Have I initiated a chain of events that might result in Tank Foster losing his only chance of pulling a Captain Rick?

Man, I hope not.

Talk about a plan backfiring.

————

After scrubbing myself raw in the shower to get rid of what’s left of the skunk odor, I put on shorts and step into the kitchen around nine. Mom’s sitting alone at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading the paper. Dad’s nowhere in sight.

Without looking up from the paper, she says, “You went to bed early. How’d you sleep?”

“Like a log,” I lie. But it doesn’t matter what I say, because I can tell from how she asked the question that she knows I snuck out. So I go to the fridge and take a slug of milk from the carton. “Justin home yet?”

“Not yet.” She looks up. “Zach, at least pour it in a cup.”

“Sorry.” I put the milk away and close the fridge. “It’s hot today.”

“It’s supposed to crack a hundred.” She folds the paper and pushes it aside, takes a deep breath, and stares at me.

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Your father left last night. He’s at a hotel, but he didn’t say where.” She’s fighting tears. “I’m sorry, Zach, but I think you saw it coming.”

I walk over and hug her.

And she totally loses it.

Within seconds, I feel her tears trickling down the back of my shoulder. She shakes like a child for several minutes. I’ve never held my mother for this long. But just when I think she might pass out from the breakdown, she somehow manages to pull herself together.

“God,” she says. “It was never supposed to end up like this.”

“It’ll all work out, Mom. If you’re supposed to stay together, you will. If not, then why should you stay miserable? He’s the one who needs help, not you.”

She wipes her face with her hands, takes several deep breaths, and leans back in her chair. I sit beside her and hold her hand.

“At least I have my boys,” she says. “Whatever happens, at least I’ll always have my boys.”

“That’s right,” I say, and pause. “So, you think he’s coming back?”

“Beats me. He’s never done this before.” She taps the fingers of her free hand on the table. “I never thought we’d grow apart, but that’s exactly what’s happened.”

“Mom, you wanna go get some breakfast or something?”

“The way I look right now?” She feigns a smile. “Not a chance.”

“What about lunch?”

“Maybe,” she says, thinking about it. “I’m going to see some friends this morning, but lunch with my son sounds nice.”