Best Left in the Past
Mia
Even I had to appreciate the beautiful spring morning as I drove home, though all I wanted was a few hours in my bed.Night shifts paid well but were murder on my sleep cycle.Despite my burning eyes and tired muscles, I felt good.I had a couple days off after this.Time to get some rest and maybe knock some items off my to-do list.
After I parked the car in the driveway of our family home, I came in the side entrance and took off my shoes.Mom and my sister were talking in the kitchen.My sister tended to talk at full volume, so there was no missing what she said.I was grateful the bedroom I shared with my son was on the second floor.I’d have to get him up and ready for school, and once he was on the bus, I could sleep.
“Mia would know, right?She dated him.”
I paused.What did Cora think I would know?
“Don’t ask her, hon.It’s not that important and it’s best left in the past.”
Please listen to Mom…
“But it’s so juicy.Like, why would he do that?Hockey players fight, but to punch a teammate in practice?Was it the money thing?Did the guy insult his grandmother?It would be so cool to be able to tell everyone at school the real story.”
They had to be talking about Justin Johnson, NHL player and my high school boyfriend.But that was more than ten years ago.Port Coquitlam liked to claim Justin as a local boy, but he rarely came back.I did my best to block out any information about him.But this, hitting someone?That was so not Justin.Maybe Cora was wrong.
Arne’s footsteps sounded on the stairs so there was no chance to hear anything more.“Mommy?”
My heart turned over.This kid was the best thing in my life.His blond hair stood up on end, but his blue eyes showed how happy he was to see me.He was wearing his favorite soccer pj’s, which were already getting short on him.“I’m here, sweetie.”I squatted to get my morning hug.
“Hey, Mia, can I ask you?—”
“Not right now, Cora.”I tilted my head at Arne.There was no reason for him to hear any of this.
“Arne, sweetie, let’s get you ready for school.”Mom tried to stand, but she barely lifted herself off the chair before wincing.
I waved her off.“No, Mom, I’m good.”
Her brow wrinkled.“You’re tired.”
I was.But I treasured these moments with Arne.And Mom looked to be having one of her bad days, when she needed her walker to get around.Cora didn’t offer to help.Instead, she stood up with her coffee mug.
“Have a good day, tiger.”She ruffled Arne’s hair on her way up to her room, ignoring me.
“She has class soon,” Mom apologized, apparently reading my feelings on my face.
Despite being a healthy eighteen-year-old, Cora was the last person to help around the place.When it came to Arne, I didn’t expect her to be my babysitter.But for Mom?
I shoved it aside.I had a six-year-old who needed breakfast and to get dressed before his bus came.I poured him juice and sat it on the table in front of him.“How do you want your eggs?”
He bit his lip while he considered one of the bigger decisions of his day.“Scrambled?With cheese?”
Excellent.Quick and easy.“For you?Absolutely.”
I opened the fridge to get the eggs and milk and cheese.Mom asked Arne about the soccer game he had tonight, and I took a moment to check the calendar on my phone.Almost empty—another win.I noted that Pajama Day was coming up, which meant I’d have to find just the right pair.Where Arne used to not care, now there was a lot of concern about what was too babyish.I’d gone over his spelling with him last night and packed his backpack.Lunch was ready in the fridge.
I covered a yawn and then cracked the eggs, making enough for everyone.Mom and I ate with Arne, and then I herded him upstairs to brush his teeth and get dressed.
I’d worked hard to get him into a gifted school, and I was grateful every morning when he didn’t fight about going.The class size was smaller, and the extra attention meant he enjoyed learning.To afford it, I worked a lot of nights and traveled all around the PoCo area, but it gave me funds for the extra resources he needed.
“Barney is gonna play hockey,” Arne informed me as I tossed his pajamas in the laundry basket in the corner of his room.
I froze for a moment.“He is, is he?”Barney was his best friend, and they were on the same soccer team.Soccer, fine.Hockey, however…
“Yep.He sometimes wears a hockey shirt to school.”