23. Dean: Dylan’s Mom

Dean – Dylan's Mom

Chapter twenty-three

I look behind me to apologize for the inconvenience to Mae, but she's nowhere to be seen.

I'm so angry that she and I only briefly started getting close again, and here Anna comes to screw everything up. Just like she always did.

"Can I please talk to you in private?" I ask Anna.

"Sure."

"Dylan, stay out here and draw for a little bit, okay?"

Anna and I go inside and out of his earshot. "Seriously, what is going on?" I ask.

"What? I told you. My flight was delayed."

"That's really what it takes for you to come see your son?"

"Hey, I'm here, aren't I? Does it matter why?" Anna is always able to make herself look good….in her own mind.

"Kind of, Anna. All he's seen or heard from you over the last few years has been through half-heartedly written postcards." I'm fuming but trying to control it.

"I've been busy."

"Me too. Raising our son."

"You're the one who pushed for full custody, Dean."

"That's because I wanted to give him stability. To go to one school and to be around the same friends. With you, he'd be flying all over the world."

"Would that be so bad? Experiencing culture is good for a kid."

"He has the rest of his life to travel like that, Anna. In these formative years, he needs routine and consistency."

"Ugh. That's so boring."

"Maybe. But it's what's best for him. And the judge agreed with me, remember?"

"Whatever." She tries to wave me off, but I don't let her.

"I'm not done here."

"What else is there to say, Dean? Have I been a bad mom? Maybe. But I'd like a chance to catch up and get to know our teenage son."

"Okay, go ahead. But what are you going to tell him when you leave in a few hours and disappear for another few years?"

"That I need to travel for work."

"Oh, you're working now? Maybe I should take you back to court for some child support then."

She rolls her eyes. "Ugh, fine. No, I don't officially have a job. But I started a blog, and that's going pretty well."

"Yeah? How much money do you make off of that?"

"Nothing…at least not yet."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." I laugh without mirth. "So, how does Raul afford all of the plane tickets and hotel stays?"

"That's none of your business."

I've always suspected his income comes from something a little unsavory, and her defensive response confirms that. Certainly, he isn't just cleaning pools. Our conversation ends after hearing a knock and the door fly open. "Sorry! Flooding forced me to turn back," Coral explains, as she pulls off her soaking wet coat. She is completely soaked, so I assume that the rain must have started coming down hard and fast again.

I try to warn her about Anna, but she sets eyes on her before I can say anything.

"Whoa! This is a surprise."

"Coral, you remember Dylan's mother, Anna. Anna, Coral." Two sets of eyes narrow and I almost see a dance for superiority begin.

I let them get reacclimated while I call Dylan inside. Then, I suggest he go up to his room and continue drawing. He's a smart kid and intuitively knows when it's best to comply without a fight.

"What brings you here?" Coral asks.

"A delayed flight."

"Right. Heaven forbid you came here on your own accord."

"I honestly already took enough about this from Dean, Coral. I don't need it from you, too. And what business is it of yours? And, for the record, what are YOU doing here?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Anna, but I just braved an actual flood to be with my children."

Anna turns around and gives her the dirtiest look.

I get in between them and ask for everyone to calm down a little bit. I dislike Anna just as much, if not more, than Coral does, but them screaming at each other isn't going to do anyone good.

Then, from her corner of the kitchen, Coral takes out her cell and attempts to call Seamus. With no connection, she announces that she's going to go over to Mae's to try to call on their landline.

"Be careful!"

So, it's just Anna and me again.

"Speaking of that Mae," Anna says.

"She's the neighbor."

"And that's it?" Anna insinuates with her typical mannerisms.

"Why do you care?" I ask.

"I'm just making conversation. We're obviously going to be stuck here for a while."

"There may be something developing between us, yes."

She laughs, shakes her head, and crosses her arms. "Wow."

"What?"

"You've just changed so much," Anna scoffs.

You have no idea.

"When I knew you, you never would've let a little farm girl turn your head."

"Mae is not just some ‘farm girl.' She has a law degree."

"Well, she's certainly getting a good use out of that out here in the boondocks, isn't she?"

My fists clench, but I breathe and release them. "Not quite yet, but she's talking about opening her own firm."

Anna scoffs. "And just what would she practice around here? Barnyard animal law?" She walks over to a cookie jar on the counter and takes a treat out. "So, what brings you out here in the first place? I didn't think you'd be caught dead living in the country."

I gave her the briefest overview of the company's condominiums plan, since it is truly none of her business.

"If you're not building here, Dean, then where?"

"I don't know yet."

Anna laughs. "That's just like you."

I let it go because I have no desire to carry on another disagreeable conversation with Anna. My teeth are grinding together wildly when our son comes out and shows her some of his art.

"Is that one me?"

"Yeah."

She slicks his hair back. "That's really great, Dyl."

"Thanks, Mom. Do you really think they're good?"

After her confirmation, he runs back to his room just as fast as he came out, smiling this time.

"You know, he had to do that by memory," I tell her.

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't even have a picture of you, Anna."

"Well, it doesn't look like he needs one. Look how accurate this is." She holds the drawing up to her face.

"That's just because he's an incredibly smart kid. I don't think the average kid could do that."

"Why don't you let him come with me to Mexico then."

"What? When? No…"

"That's where I was headed before getting delayed. Raul is already down there waiting for me. I'll call him and ask him to buy an extra ticket."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? You keep complaining about all the time I spend away from him. And it is still summer vacation, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. But—"

Anna doesn't listen to my response, as usual.

"Hey, Dyl?" she suddenly calls.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Can you come here for a second?"

"No, Anna. Don't bring him into this—" I sigh, defeated, when I see Dyl walking into the room. "Do you want to go to Mexico with Mom and her special friend, Raul?"

"What? Like now?"

"As soon as the weather clears."

"Yeah, that would be awesome! Dad, can I?"

"Yeah, Dad. Can he?" Anna asks, hugging our son from behind.

I pull him away from her. "Do you actually want to do this?"

"Yeah, why not? It sounds like fun."

"Fine," I say, trying to hide my annoyance. "But if anything happens, one or both of you need to call me immediately. Do you understand? The first sign of illness, a missing passport, anything."

"Got it," Dylan says, with a huge smile.

"Okay. And I'm not paying a cent, Anna," I whisper to her, as she attempts to call Raul. She'd already gotten so much money out of me that way. I think I even once paid for her and her boyfriend to take Dylan and his kids to Disney World.

She pulls away from my grasp. "I know."

Her cell service must also be down because she pouts seconds later.

"Can't get through?"

"No."

"Mae has a landline. You can try to use that."

"But I don't know his number by heart."

"You can't just pull it up in your contacts?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I can do that. But let me try it again. Hi, baby," she mumbles in a disgusting baby voice, after successfully reaching him. "I need another ticket for my son. I know, it will be less romantic with him around. But I want to spend time with him. Thank you, baby. I love you." After that, she makes a series of kissing sounds.

Barf. How I ever thought I was compatible with this woman is beyond me.

"Okay, he's going to take care of it."

***

Coral has since come back, and our new unconventional family is sitting down at the table to eat dinner when all of the lights in the house go out.

"Oh yikes!" Coral exclaims.

"It's okay. The power was just knocked out. I'm sure it will come back on again," I comfort.

We wait for several minutes but remain surrounded by darkness.

However, I look out the window and see the lights turn back on at Mae's. They must have a generator.

"I guess we're going to have to take this meal to go," I suggest.