Free Ever After Drake by Keary Taylor Page A

not in love with this man, there
is absolutely no hope for the rest of us to ever know what that
word means.”
    My phone dings and I look down to see
a text from my mom.
    Please, she says. I have to go
out of town again in five days. Can we please meet and
talk?
    She’s been texting and trying to call.
She keeps asking me to meet her. She says she’s sorry for our fight
the other day. And lately she’s been saying I need to forgive her
and move on from all this.
    Like it’s no big deal.
    I sigh and look up at Armando. “What
do you think? Do I act nice and talk to my mom?”
    Armando’s nose crinkles. “Absolutely
not. That woman needs to learn what her priorities are.”
    “ Yeah,” I say as I look
back down at my phone. “I don’t think she’s going to get that
though until someone very specifically spells it out for
her.”
    Fine, I text back. Meet me at Stanolli’s
at seven.
     
    We both stare at our food
and silently eat. We’ve said little more than hi and how
are you since we arrived at the
restaurant. We ordered, got our food, and now we’re avoiding any
real conversation.
    I’ve never really been close with my
mom. She was always there, but she didn’t really see me. She always
took care of my needs, I was an idea that needed to be constantly
addressed. But me, actual Kaylee? I was invisible.
    I’m still not sure she’s seeing me.
I’ve upset her and she wants to set this right. But am I more than
an idea that needs to be addressed? Does she see Kaylee sitting in
front of her? A girl who believes in fairy tales, who gets flirted
with by students every other day, a girl who loves summer time and
rocking out to any good song that comes on the radio in her
car?
    I’m honestly not sure.
    “ How long are you going to
be gone on this trip?” I ask, finally breaking the
silence.
    “ Uh,” she says, wiping her
mouth with a napkin. “About two weeks again. This is a big client
in Chicago.”
    I nod, chewing on my lower lip. “Does
Dick have any help with Skyler while you’re gone?”
    “ He seems to be doing okay
lately,” Mom says, not quite meeting my eyes. She reaches for her
glass. Her hand shakes as she brings it to her lips. “And he has
you to help him out.”
    The temperature of my blood starts to
rise. My hands curl into fists. “And you don’t feel any guilt
walking away from your son for fourteen days at a time?”
    “ Kaylee,” Mom says,
narrowing her eyes at me and her brows furrowing. “I have to work.
I have to earn money to help support your brother.”
    “ But you have to work a
job that takes you away from him for weeks at a time? Why can’t you
find something that you can be around?” My voice is slowly rising
and my insides grow harder.
    “ I’m finally making good
money,” she says, her voice hard. “I have a real career now. Surely
you can understand that.”
    “ No,” I say, shaking my
head. “I can’t. You’ve all but abandoned Skyler. And that would be
fine if you just cut and dry walked away from him, but he never
knows when you’ll waltz back into his life and pretend like you
care. He’s always hoping that maybe you’ll be around for a little
longer this time. He hopes maybe you’ll come to his t-ball game, or
his soccer matches. What do you think it’s doing to
him?”
    “ I’m making it so he can
have a good life,” my mother says. Her eyes lock on the
table.
    “ I know you were too young
when you had me and you never got the chance to be a real grown up
and get a good job when you wanted. You had me to deal with. And
you dealt,” I say. My jaw is set hard and my stomach churns. “And I
know you’re proud of yourself for getting this job and finally
figuring stuff out. But you’re still a mother. You still have a
seven year old little boy who needs a mom to tell him bedtime
stories and sing him silly songs about brushing his teeth and doing
his homework. He doesn’t need an absent money maker. What is that
ever supposed to mean to