Chapter 27: Compromising Times

Justin did return as promised. He reset the window in the bathroom and swapped out the hardware in the French doors, and he even stuck around to help the electricians replace the wires in the bedroom and install the new overhead lamp.

I did my best to stay out of his way, but at one point I paused to watch him install the new hardware, and my mother scolded me for gawking.

I had hoped he would remain behind when the work was finished—I even urged my mother to invite him to supper—but he declined.

“Thank you, Dr. Dupree,” Justin told her respectfully, “but I need to get some rest. I am supposed to pick up my dad in the morning, and he would like a chance to unwind before our tee time.”

“Teatime?” my mother quizzed, furrowing her brow in genuine confusion as she turned to me. “Isn’t that what you and Haylee call your gossip session?”

Justin burst out laughing. “I mean we are going to tee off”—he posed and pretended to take a swing—“on the golf course.”

My mother’s face flushed. Her cheeks must have been burning, because she rushed to cover them. “You must forgive me. My mind is mush today.”

“I hope the work I did today can offer you peace of mind,” he told her.

As he began to gather his tools, I offered to help, desperate to spend just a few moments alone with him.

Justin handed me his tool belt and lifted the heavy toolbox and drill case. “You have to carry the light stuff, because you’re a girl,” he teased, then his gaze drifted to my mother, who was standing aside, watching our interaction. “I’ll meet you at the truck.”

I looped the tool belt over my shoulder and glanced over at my mother, who was giving me a hard look. I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like we are going to have unprotected sex in the driveway.”

I huffed and stomped off before she had a chance to reprimand me.

I carried the remainder of Justin’s equipment outside, and he took advantage of the rare opportunity to peck me on the lips while he relieved me of my burden.

“Did you get a chance to ask your mom about meeting my dad on Wednesday?” he inquired.

I shook my head. “Not yet. She hasn’t been in the best mood.”

“Let me know as soon as you can. My dad usually runs a tight ship,” he warned me. “Every second of his day is penciled in. Even the time he spends with me.”

Though he had relayed this information so casually, my heart still lurched when he mentioned having to schedule time with his own father. I couldn’t imagine having to make an appointment to chat with my mother.

“I’ll let you know,” I promised him, leaning in to steal another quick kiss before I returned to the house.

My mother had been watching me like a hawk all day, so I expected her to be lurking at the bay window when I returned, but she had remained in the kitchen.

When I joined her, she was making us some tea. “Our conversation about tea made me crave a cup,” she explained as she put the kettle on the stove to let the liquid brew.

I giggled. “That was pretty funny,” I admitted.

The scent of chamomile filled the room as her tea finished brewing. I waited patiently while my mother returned to the table with her cup.

“Did you say that Haylee was arriving Thursday night instead of Friday?” she asked.

“Yeah. She said if we couldn’t pick her up, she would get an Uber.”

“I’m surprised. I thought you said she had to work on Thursday.”

“She did, but she got fired, so now she is free to spend time with me.” Though Haylee had been devastated when she’d informed me this morning, I was ecstatic to learn that I would have more time with her.

My mother’s eyebrows shot up. “What did Haylee do to get herself fired?”

“She didn’t do anything. Her dopey boyfriend kept bothering her at work, and her boss said he could no longer tolerate the disruptions.”

My mother gasped in disbelief. “Payton always seemed like a sweet kid.”

“Yeah, it turns out I dodged a bullet,” I informed her. “He’s a complete psycho.”

“Infatuation can make people do funny things,” my mother remarked.

Afraid she would start applying Haylee’s conflicts to my relationship with Justin, I hurried to change the subject. “I’m going to have to drag out the air mattress. Haylee insists on sleeping in the pink room.”

“I assumed she would want to bunk with you,” my mother said, sounding surprised. “You told her the electricity in there has been acting buggy, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s why she wants to sleep in there. She doesn’t think the light is malfunctioning. She thinks the room is haunted.” I refrained from telling her that I agreed, afraid she would scold me for entertaining such fantasies.

But my mother surprised me as she said, “She may be right. Your father always told me that nothing was solid. We are all just a cluster of atoms vibrating at a high frequency. I don’t believe in ghosts, but once those atoms go dormant, that energy doesn’t just evaporate.”

“So, you believe it can be harnessed?”

“I harness energy all the time with tuning forks,” she said, matter of fact.

“But why would a person’s energy want to hang around after they’re free of their physical body?” I argued. “Don’t you think they would be happy to be free of worries?”

“The worries of the world never go away,” she countered. “They just manifest differently. That’s why humans are prone to repeating mistakes.”

My arms broke out in goosebumps. Though this had started out as a fun topic, it had taken a turn, so I decided this may be a good time to change the subject.

“Mom, I know we have a busy week, but I was wondering if it would be all right if I went to Justin’s house on Wednesday to meet his father,” I said, then quickly added, “It will only be for the afternoon. I’ll be home in plenty of time to set up the air mattress and get Haylee’s room ready.”

But she shook her head. “I won’t be here Wednesday. I have to go into the city to update my malpractice insurance if I want to open by August.”

“I would rather be at Justin’s than home alone,” I persisted. “And we won’t be alone—his father will be there.”

She tucked in her bottom lip and gazed at me thoughtfully.

“What?” I exploded. “If you don’t believe me, you can call Justin and ask him yourself.”

“While the police were here, I inquired about Justin and his family. Though everyone agreed that Justin is a nice boy, they did say his father often leaves him to his own devices.”

“But his father will be ~present~. The entire point of me going over there is to meet him,” I argued stubbornly. I had assumed that Justin had racked up enough brownie points to spend the afternoon with me somewhere other than the house, but I had guessed wrong.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” I muttered.

“Who will pick you up?” my mother put forth. “If I allow you to ride with Justin, how can I be guaranteed that the two of you won’t take a detour?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, angry that my mother didn’t even trust me to go on a short car ride.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to change her mind. I was entering adulthood, but I still lived under her roof, and I had to follow her rules. Though I believed she was being irrational, my opinion didn’t matter.

So, I conceded. “Fine, I’ll go call Justin and tell him the bad news.”

I was about to turn and exit the kitchen, but my mother stopped me.

“I’ve reconsidered,” she said. “It will do me no good to try to keep you and Justin apart, but I can do my best to prevent you two from making mistakes. I will agree to let you go to Justin’s house, but only if I can drive you and meet his father myself.”

I cringed slightly, knowing my mother only insisted on meeting Justin’s dad so she could inform him about my and Justin’s latest mishap.

The idea made me uncomfortable, but I knew how important this meeting was to Justin, so I agreed to the compromise.