Blog #3: Unexpected News

Ping!

It was the fifth time his mother had received a message notification since they had sat down for dinner. Kit glanced down at the phone, which his mother had placed with the screen down, and looked back up at his mother's face. She pretended to not notice the text and continued to twirl the fork in her bowl of spaghetti, but Kit knew something was up. Something to do with the sudden reappearance of his father.

Kit watched as his mother kept playing with her food. She had barely eaten a mouthful.

"Is something wrong, mom?"

Kit still hadn’t confronted his mother about the night of the concert- he wanted to see how long it would take for her to tell him herself. So far, she hadn’t mentioned a thing, and when Kit asked where she had disappeared to during the show, the only response he got was an almost inaudible mumble about getting “lost in the dark.”

She looked up just a moment late, but Kit noticed the slow response.

“Oh no, dear! I’m doing great… not too hungry is all.”

“Well, you don’t have to eat it just ‘cause I made it. I know I’m not much of a cook!” Kit smiled half-heartedly.

His attempt at lightening the mood was met by a dry chuckle and blank eyes.  

“Really though, are you doing fine - with everything else? You’ve been looking really lost since last week.”

She smiled at her plate, not meeting Kit’s eyes. When she finally did look up, she had a strange glint in her eyes.

“I’m seeing your father again.”

“WHAT?” Of all the reasons Kit had imagined, his parents' dating wasn’t close to one. Even in the slightest.

“What do you mean you’re SEEING him?” He yelled, much louder than he’d intended, but he didn’t care one bit. 

“Is that what was happening at the concert the other night? Yes! I saw you!”

Instead of denying it, she heaved a sigh and began, “Your father is not a terrible man, Kit. I-”

Kit could not believe she was defending him - that bastard of a man! He’d had enough.

“I-I need some air. Show yourself 0ut before I’m back.” He stomped out of the apartment, slamming the door on his way out.

... 

Unfortunately, the hurt look on his mother's face as he stormed off would be his last interaction with her for a while...

Blog #2: An All-Too-Familiar Voice

Watching the shadows lurking on the streets as the cab trudged toward the amphitheater, Kit couldn’t help but wonder if this was a bad idea. The boost of confidence he had felt that morning when he heard the words “I used to care of the ghosts and spirits, but things have changed,” seemed like a distant memory.

As the sky turned from a pinkish hue to a deep purple, Kit wondered why he didn’t have the motivation to tell his mother, “I told you so, mom!” Perhaps it was because he was unconsciously hoping that she was right. Maybe the courage he always associated with her would somehow rub off on him. Kit turned to look at his mother, recognizing his own golden brown eyes and chocolate hair on her. Unfortunately, it looked like physical appearances were going to be the only sources of similarities between the mother and son. Stifling a sigh, Kit turned back toward the window and watched as his breath fogged the glass. He decided he would be brave for his mother, no matter how scared he actually was.

…

Two hours into the concert and Kit felt nothing but the numbing freedom of the music reverberating through his bones. At the moment, he was oblivious to all else, including the darkening sky and the fact that his mother had not returned from the restroom for over an hour. As Conrad began transitioning into another song, Kit finally realized his mother was missing and made his way through the crowd, clanging elbows and stepping on shoes.

Finding an old man leave the only porta-potty in sight, Kit’s heart started to pound and his mind began to race: where could she have disappeared to? As he made his way to the parking lot, he pulled out his phone and called her. No answer. That was strange, she always answered her phone, or texted back, at the least. Cursing as the phone slipped through his suddenly clammy hands and hit the granite, Kit heard his mother’s voice and another, a derisive one that was all-too-familiar: his father’s.

The man had abandoned Kit and his mother seven years ago, only turning up with his new girlfriend to pick up the Lexus that he had snagged via asset division. Kit hated him with all his being.  So, why were his father and mother in contact with each other, let alone meeting without his knowledge?