She’s wrong. She really is. But for some reason, she doesn’t see it.
I wonder if maybe that’s something I can do for her, something I can give her.
It’s a worthy goal—something I haven’t had in a long time.
I take a cue from her and lean down, kissing my mom on the cheek before staring into her eyes. “It’s good to see you, Momma.”
I think I spot a flicker of recognition, but then it’s gone.
I straighten and shove my hands into my pockets. “I waited too long.”
“But at least you’re not too late.”
“Thanks to you.”
“I just prodded you in the right direction. You’d have gotten here eventually.”
I take Cat’s hand and raise it to my lips. “Will you go to dinner with me tonight?”
Her lashes flutter. “In New Orleans?”
“If that’s what you want.” I’m agreeable to anything at the moment.
“Oh yeah?”
I nod.
She eyes me up and down. “What about dancing?”
I laugh. “If you insist.”
“I do. Let’s see what you’re made of. But we’ve got an afternoon ahead of us first.” Then she swishes around and pushes my mom out of the room.
All I can do is follow.
Cat
After several hours at the assisted living place, we’ve eaten dinner, drank a bottle of wine, and made our way to Frenchman’s Street, where live music pours out of open windows. After the strain of this afternoon and seeing his mom, Caden has lightened up considerably.
Things have grown easy between us as early evening slips into night. The wine has made me loose enough that everything feels warm and hazy.
We walk down the street leisurely, and I look up at the moon, full and heavy in the sky. “I love it here.”
“You do, huh?”
I nod, still staring into the darkness and allowing the warm breeze to float over my skin. “One of my favorite places in the world.”
“And where else have you been?”
My forehead creases. “Not many places, but enough to know this holds one of the top spots.”
“What do you love about it?”
Zydeco music fills the air for a minute as we pass a crowded bar. “The way it pulses and throbs with energy.”
“Kinda like sex.”
My head snaps, and I glance at him. “I suppose.”