Over the past twelve years, she had learned a lot at Layton and Bellows, Attorneys-at-Law. If the office was quiet, she would read articles from various law journals. Some of it was way over her head, but she never hesitated to ask questions. Both partners appreciated her interest and encouraged her. Even though she had no illusion of going to college, let alone law school, she was a quick study and was especially interested in family law. One particular article about grandparents’ visitation rights was startling. She couldn’t imagine having to go to a lawyer to see your own grandchild. Not that it mattered in her life. Brendon would never know his maternal grandmother or grandfather, and his paternal grandparents were MIA. For two people to have so much in common, it was a mystery how they had grown so far apart. She would feel bad for Brendon not having grandparents, but in the case of her parents and her in-laws, he was much better off.

She also felt bad that he had no siblings. Not yet anyway. But it would have been nice if he had a family unit he could be a part of. Maybe that’s why she was so close to him. She tried to protect him from loneliness and any feelings of abandonment without being a helicopter mom. All in all, Brendon was a well-adjusted, responsible young man. He had a good head on his shoulders. She sighed. She missed his humor and his attention.

She wrapped herself in a long, plush robe, made some chamomile tea, and settled into bed with a book. Around eleven, she saw the headlights of the pickup pull into the driveway. Normally, she would be half asleep, and he would fall into bed. Sometimes he would kiss her on the head. But tonight was different. She wanted to see what it was like to have a conversation with him at the end of his day and an evening of bacchanalian behavior.

She heard him rattle around the kitchen for a few minutes, opening and closing the refrigerator door. “Whoa! Check it out!” She surmised that he had found the bologna and cheese.

Tori called out to him. “That’s for lunch tomorrow, hon.”

He came sauntering into the bedroom. “Well lookie here. You’re awake!”

She smiled up at him. “I am.” He bent over to give her a kiss, his breath smelling of sour beer. She kept smiling. “So you found your surprise?”

He plopped down on the side of the bed and took off his boots and tossed them toward the closet. Tori suppressed a cringe. She had asked him repeatedly to leave them in the laundry room over the years. She realized the shoe thing and the socks-on-the-floor thing were inherent in males.

“Whacha readin’?” he asked, as if he were interested. Tori thought maybe it was his idea of foreplay.

“Just another mystery novel.”