Meet the Parents

(Violet)

My mother insisted on some cheap cell phone that barely had reception, ever. She and my father still had a landline - probably one of five people in the world to still have one. I had no idea what happened to my father and what to expect. Mason was the best thing that could have happened in the situation though. He was the perfect distraction. And the perfect protector. As I stared at him, waiting for him to talk, I realized I had only ever taken one guy home to my parents in my life.

That was Davis, way back in the days of middle school and high school.

And if there was someone who was so wildly opposite to Davis, Mason was it. From the size, muscles, eyes, chin, scruff, and attitude…

I had to look away from Mason for a second.

“Kate,” he said. “I never say her name anymore. I avoid it. Yet everything I’ve done and do is because of her. One of those situations.”

“You loved her?”

“Yeah,” Mason said. “The only woman I ever loved.”

“What about your mother?”

“I don’t remember my mother enough to know if I loved her.”

“That’s mean.”

“No, it’s honest. My father took off on me. Just because he’s my father doesn’t mean I should love him, you know? I’m not saying my mother was bad. Or my stepfather even. I just don’t remember them. The memory seems to be from when I lost them.”

“I’m so sorry, Mason.”

“I told you about saying sorry, Violet.”

“Right.”

I stopped talking.

Mason collected himself.

“I promised I would write her a letter a week, okay? So that’s why I do it. Just to fill her in on what she’s missing.”

“When you say missing… and the letters… you’ve never sent them. She hasn’t read them, has she?”

“Depends on what you believe in.”

“What does that mean?”

Mason sighed. “Violet, she’s not around. She’s gone.”

“I get that she’s… gone…”

It started to make sense to me. My head felt a mile thick. I hadn’t made the connection. I thought he was heartbroken, writing letters to a woman that left him. Or a woman that he left. Something that lingered with a regret.

“She’s…”

“Yeah,” Mason said. “Gone. Dead. Just like my parents.”

“Oh, Mason. I’m so-”

“Don’t,” he said.

“I didn’t realize. I should have. Oh, I feel like a fool now. I swear to you, I wasn’t looking for those letters. I wish I never saw them.”

“Why? Now you know the truth.”

“What truth? That you were in love? That you still are in love? That’s why you…”

“It’s not about love like that,” Mason said. “Anything I do love ends up dying. It’s my curse. Yet, I keep living.”

“You can’t possibly believe that to be true.”

“I’ve kept my guard up since her and nothing has happened.”

“Except an array of one night stands and you wanting to die.”

“Who said I wanted to fucking die?”

“I can see it in you,” I said. I was starting to get pissed, yet I felt bad for him. My emotions were forever in a knot because of Mason. “You blame yourself. You lost the woman you love. But it wasn’t your fault, was it?”

“No,” he whispered. “It wasn’t my fault. It was out of my control. And that makes it worse. I need control. I thrive on it. I’m controlling this situation right now, Violet. I’m in control of my truck. Taking you to see your father. To make sure you get a moment I’ll never get.”

We were in silence again. Another piece of Mason’s twisted heart had appeared. And it was hard to process.

“The date on your chest,” I said.

“We’re done talking about it.”

“Okay. Fair enough.” I gave it a few seconds. “I think it’s pretty amazing that you write to her still. Just so you know. It doesn’t bother me.”

“Good,” he said. “I really wouldn’t give a fuck if it did. She asked me to take care of myself and I promised I would. When she was gone, I had two choices to make. Honor her and my promise or just go off the deep end.”

“You chose to honor her.”

“Not at first. I chose the deep end. Lucky for me I didn’t go too deep.”

“How deep though?”

“Waking up in a jail cell, alone, blood on my hands. Missing a shoe. My shoulder dislocated.”

“Mason…”

“I decided to take on a biker club one night. Not sure if I did any damage to them. But when I realized I was a hundred miles from home and had nobody and nothing, it was either live or die. And as much as it would be easy to just end it all… I don’t like to take the easy way out.”

“You should be proud. You run your own business. And it’s successful.”

“Yeah. Go me.”

“Mason, don’t be an asshole.”

“Look, I’m telling you this to kill some time. I’m not on a couch. You’re not going to fix me and my thoughts. Why don’t you call your mother.”

I tried Mom and she picked up on the third ring.

The phone was fuzzy.

“Mom,” I said. “How’s Dad?”

“He’s… surgery…” The line cleared up. “He’s out of surgery and okay. Nothing to be scared of. I hope. I mean, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you, Violet.”

“I’m on my way,” I said. “I have to see him. And you. I have to hug you both.”

“Violet… you didn’t…”

The line scrambled again.

I yelled that we would be there soon.

I looked over at Mason and saw the chiseled cut line of his jaw. He was driving two hours for me. Meeting my parents for me. Going to my old hometown for me.

I think I was starting to love him.

* * *

We went right to the hospital. Mason took the lead, sensing my hesitation at the sight of the building. I inherited my mother’s fear of doctors and hospitals and illness and stuff. But Mason moved like he owned the place. He grabbed my hand and led the way.

My protector.

Mason went right to the main counter in the lobby and looked at me for my father’s name. I barely whispered it and before the woman at the computer could help me I heard someone yell my name.

I turned and saw my mother standing at the end of the hall with a coffee in her hand. I quickly broke away from Mason and ran to her. She put the coffee down on a bench and had her arms open, waiting for me. As much as I needed to hug her, she needed to hug me.

That embrace… it was hard to describe. My parents were good people. They raised me to be good. They worked hard, saved money, volunteered around town. They were the picture perfect marriage. With the only exception that they weren’t supposed to have kids. There was something wrong somewhere and I was a bit of a miracle to them. Even still, I loved my parents so much.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, choking on her words.

“Of course I’m here. Where’s Dad?”

“Recovering. He gets to go home tomorrow.”

“That soon? What happened?”

“He… uh…” Mom’s eyes moved up and beyond me.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Mason standing behind me. I forgot what it was like to see him for the first time. Everything about him screaming hot and wild sex. He grinned, flashing those dimples.

“Mom, this is Mason. My… he…”

“I’m her neighbor, ma’am,” Mason said. He stuck his hand out. “Her car broke down and I offered to give her a ride here.”

My jaw almost dropped. Ma’am? I never thought I’d hear that word come from his mouth.

“Your car is broken?” Mom asked me.

“Well, yeah. For now. I’ll take care of it.”

“You should have told us,” Mom scolded me.

“I can take care of myself.”

“I own a shop,” Mason said. “I’ll take good care of her. Nothing to worry about. How’s your husband?”

Mom looked at Mason. I swore her eyes went all googly for a second. A smile flickered on her face.

“Thank you for asking. He’s okay. There really was no need to come up here like this.”

I opened my mouth.

Mason cut in. “Yes there is. Violet was upset. I would never want her to go through that.”

Mom looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

I raised an eyebrow back.

I had never seen this good boy side of Mason at all.

“Tell you what,” Mason said, “I’ll stay put down here. Grab something to drink. Violet, go be with your family.”

“Like hell,” Mom said. “You’re not going to sit here alone.”

“I’ll text you the room number,” I said.

“That’s great. Do you want a coffee or something?”

“Sure,” I said.

Mason put a hand to my back and leaned in. I felt the scruff on his face tickle my cheek. His lips brushed against my ear.

“Go check on your old man,” he whispered. “Don’t confuse my kindness here either, babe. I’m still picturing fucking you senseless in my mind. You should do the same. Keep it to lust and keep it to hate.”

Mason then turned and started to walk away.

I couldn’t help but stand there, red faced, Mom staring at me.

“What was that?” she asked me.

“It’s such a long story.”

“Neighbor?”

“The worst neighbor ever,” I said.

“Can’t be all that bad. He did give you a ride here. Why didn’t you tell me or your father about your car?”

“Mom, it just happened,” I said. “Okay? I stopped somewhere. Then you called me. Why can’t you get a real cell phone?”

“Should we go see Dad?” she asked with a smile, avoiding answering my question.

I mentally made a note that the second the app hit and I got a big paycheck from it, I was going to buy them each a cell phone. Top of line. Best service. Whatever.

I hated hospitals. I’ve said it before and it would never change. It was a strange place. Somewhere in the hospital people were rejoicing in the maternity ward. But at the same time, someone was on the operating table, fighting for their life. Someone was taking their last breath. Someone was being rushed in for emergency care.

The cycle of life, death, happiness, tragedy, all mixed into one.

Mom opened the door to Dad’s room.

“Hank, someone came to visit,” she said.

In my mind I expected to see my father hooked up to machines and tubes. His eyes shut. Stuff up his nose and down his throat.

Instead, he was sitting up in the hospital bed, reading a newspaper.

That was so my father.

He put the paper down and looked over the top of his glasses. “Violet?” Then he looked at Mom. “Ah, Barb, what did you do? Did you call her? Did you make her panic?”

“Yes and no,” I said. I hurried to the bed. I stood there, jumpy, unsure if I could hug him. “Dad…”

“I’m fine,” he said. He folded the paper and turned, opening his arms. I saw a white cast on his right wrist. There were some IV’s hooked up to him, but that was it.

I hugged him until he winced in pain.

I broke away. “Sorry.”

“Worth the pain,” he said with a smile.

“What happened?”

“I fell off a damn ladder,” he said.

“Because you didn’t wear your new boots,” Mom said.

“They don’t fit right,” Dad growled. “The other ones are better.”

“The other ones have no grip.”

I smiled.

I loved the banter. They never argued. They’d go back and forth until they both broke into laughter.

“Why did you need surgery?” I asked.

“To set a bone or something,” he said. He lifted his right arm. “I was on top of a ladder. Trying to help set a gutter. I lost my balance for one damn second. I should have grabbed the gutter, but I didn’t want to rip down the work I had done. So I fell. I thought I could brace myself, but there was no chance. The entire fall was on my wrist.”

“That’s not all,” Mom said. “He then got up and pretended that nothing happened. Then he passed out and hit his head off the side of the house.”

“Dad,” I said.

“I thought I was fine. I wasn’t. I tried to move my wrist and the pain was so real, so hot, I passed out.”

“It seemed worse than it was,” Mom said. “I shouldn’t have upset you, Violet. But I got this call from Smith saying Hank went down! Hit his head! He’s being rushed to the hospital! and I freaked out. Then I got here and there was blood on his head and… it was all moving so fast.”

“But you’re okay?” I asked Dad.

“Fine. I have a cut on my head. They’re watching for a concussion, but I feel fine. The wrist thing… it’ll heal. I’ll be out of work.”

“Driving me nuts,” Mom said.

“Just keep feeding me, Barb.”

I sighed a loud sigh of relief.

“As long as you’re okay,” I said.

“How’s your business?” Dad asked. “You famous yet?”

“Almost. Launch time is coming. Of course, you and Mom can’t take part because your phones are from the 90’s.”

“It works,” Dad said.

“I couldn’t hear a thing Mom was saying,” I said. “I thought you were…”

I held back the last word.

“But I didn’t,” Dad said. “I’m alive and well.” He winked at me.

“Violet’s car broke down.”

“What?” Dad asked.

“Mom!” I yelled. “Don’t stress him out.”

“Where’s the car?” he asked.

It was like he lost a child or something.

“The car is in a parking lot. It’ll get fixed soon.”

“Then how…”

“Her neighbor gave her a ride,” Mom said.

“Well that’s a nice neighbor,” Dad said. “Where is she?”

“No she,” Mom said. “It’s a guy. A really tall, muscular guy.”

“Oh?” Dad asked.

“Stop this,” I said, feeling my cheeks turning red.

“A guy. A neighbor.” Dad nodded.

“He’s quite the sight,” Mom said.

“This is insane,” I said.

“Better than that pencil arm punk you used to bring around.”

“Davis?” I asked.

Dad waved a hand. “What a tool.”

“Did you just call someone a tool?” I asked.

“He’s hip and cool now,” Mom said. “They hired some new workers. So your father picks up on all the phrases now.”

“Wait… you didn’t like Davis?” I asked.

“No. He was a bum.”

“But you all got along.”

“His mother made a hell of a bean dip,” Dad said.

“So you pawned me off for bean dip?” I asked.

“It was that good,” Dad said.

“Hank!” Mom yelled. “Violet, why does that matter? You and Davis aren’t together. That was high school love. Tell me about your neighbor.”

“Oh, this is not happening right now.”

“Where is this man now?” Dad asked.

“Getting Violet a coffee,” Mom said.

“I’m standing right here.”

“She said she’ll text him the room number,” Mom said.

“You better get to it,” Dad said. “I want to meet him. Right now.”

“Dad…”

“What? I want to thank him for helping my daughter. Let me just get out of this bed and do some pushups so I look strong.”

“Oh, Hank, you could do a thousand pushups for a year straight and not have the muscles this guy does,” Mom said.

My jaw dropped again. My face was on fire.

If I was going to suffer, I wasn’t going to suffer alone.

I took out my phone and sent a text message to Mason.

Time to meet the parents…