Succeeding Love

What Can I Do?

Vin

“Okay. Thanks,” I muttered into the phone before hanging up.

I’ve called several hospitals, but couldn’t find where Lynn and her ex-husband might be. Maybe because I didn’t exactly know what to ask for when I talked to the receptionist. I didn’t even know what I was planning on doing when I found them.

Preston said his dad ran into a wall with his car. Preston knew Nick was going to be fine, but didn’t know the extent of his dad’s injuries. He was waiting to hear from his mom when I talked to him.

I called Lynn and even texted her. I still haven’t heard back. Seeing two outgoing texts from me and no reply from her made my stomach twist every time I looked at it. She read my text from last night, but hadn’t read my new one yet last I checked. Maybe Nick was keeping her busy.

That thought had my hands twisting my steering wheel, imagining it was his neck.

I needed to get it together before I saw them. I couldn’t have a repeat of last night. He was still Jessie and Preston’s dad. I get it now. That didn’t change how much I wanted to strangle him, but I was going to hold it in. I was going to do better for Lynn.

I bought a bouquet for the prick. You know, as a get well gesture. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, but the more I looked at the bouquet of brightly colored flowers, the more ridiculous the idea sounded.

No matter how out of line I was last night, that dickwad was still the root cause of all this shittiness. If he hadn’t followed my girlfriend into the bathroom and put his fucking hands on her, I wouldn’t have gotten too pissed.

No, I shouldn’t have tried to hit him. I shouldn’t have lost my cool and hurt Lynn, but that asshole still doesn’t deserve flowers.

I’ll save them for my apologies to Lynn. Nick will get an “I’m sorry” through gritted teeth right before I whisk my girl away.

My phone vibrated, and I got excited, almost wrecking, when I swerved to hurriedly answer it.

It was Preston. Not Lynn.

“Hello?” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

“Hey. Mom just told me she was taking dad back to his place. I guess they’re out of the hospital now.”

“Huh,” I fell back against the seat. “She called you?”

“Text,” Preston said carefully. “I’m guessing you didn’t hear from her yet.”

“No,” I murmured. At least I know her phone worked still. That unlikely possibility crossed my mind once or twice.

Preston was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “Well, she was at the pharmacy. She probably has to do a bunch of crap my worthless dad can’t do for himself. I wouldn’t worry too much. She’ll…. She’ll call when she can.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

He was probably right. Lynn had her hands full, and she wasn’t the woman that multi-tasked easily. Plus, she was with her ex-husband. Calling me back while she was with him might be uncomfortable. Especially after what happened last night.

“You okay?” Preston asked hesitantly.

“Yeah. Just missing your mom, kid. Nothing I can do about it at the moment.” There were other ways to help her, though. Lighten her burden for when she gets back. “Hey, I’m going to run and get food and stuff, so your mom has less to worry about later. What will you and your sister eat?”

“Anything but pizza,” Preston said dryly. “That’s all we eat at Dad’s on the weekends.”

I huffed in humor. “You got it. If you can think of anything else you kids or your mom might need, let me know. I’m heading to the store now.”

Pulling into the grocery store parking lot, I allowed myself to open the chat between me and Lynn. Sure enough, there was a read receipt under my last text, but no response. I understand not being able to call me, but why couldn’t she at least send a text?

I was distracted in the store, checking my phone every few minutes. I ended up with a cart full of junk food, plus whatever random shit looked good. I didn’t really have a game plan for meals. I was just tossing stuff in as I distractedly walked up and down every aisle.

Premade skewers and stuffed jalapenos ended up in the cart, so I grabbed a couple of steaks. Grilling was easy enough. I could manage that.

After grabbing a bunch of other pomade meals, avoiding the pizzas in the deli, I headed to check out.

I spent an hour in the store, most of that spent staring at my phone, willing it to ring. It never did. Never dinged with a text. Nothing. Surely Lynn was done with her ex by now. Why the hell didn’t she reach out to me yet?

Maybe she was still mad about last night. My gut twisted, thinking more and more about how much of an ass I was to her.

The flowers were sitting in my passenger seat, but looking at them now, they didn’t seem like enough. The rich blues and reds in the petals were pretty and all, but Lynn wasn’t the woman that could be bought with pretty flowers.

Food. The answer to Lynn was something sweet.

I figured the groceries would stay good long enough for me to make one more stop. There was a shop that sold chocolate-dipped fruits arranged in bouquets close to home. I think they sold other shit like smoothies and cookies, too. I knew Lynn would go nuts over a bouquet made of actual food.

“Welcome,” the saleswoman greeted me as I walked in.

She showed me everything she had ready to take home, ranging from small bundles of chocolate-covered strawberries to massive arrangements of several fruits. Before I could settle on one, my phone buzzed in my hand and I eagerly went to answer it.

“Excuse me,” I murmured to the woman, feeling disappointed again seeing Preston and not his mother on my caller ID. “Hey. I’m finishing up shopping and I’ll be there in-”

“I’d come home now,” he interrupted me, his voice sounding cold.

“Why?” My blood ran cold at his tone.

He was quiet for a long time, and then asked, “Do you know a woman named Mindy?”

~

Preston

“-I’m heading to the store now…”

Despite the crappy start to our morning, with mom having to leave to take care of my asshole father, I smiled after hanging up with Vin.

I had my doubts for a second last night. Mom hadn’t cried like that in a long time, and she seemed so heartbroken when I helped get her to her room.

“Was that mom?” Jessie asked, coming into the living room from the kitchen. “Is she coming home yet?”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “No. That was Vin. He’s going to the store for mom and wanted to know what we wanted.”

“Pizza,” she mumbled. She sat on the couch and hugged a pillow in her lap. “I need pizza.”

“Nope.” I lifted my chin. “If I eat pizza again, I’m gonna hurl. That’s the one thing I told him to avoid.”

“That’s not fair,” Jessie pouted.

“Oh, it’s totally fair. That’s all you want to eat every freaking weekend.”

“Because it’s good,” she said meekly. “Mom and dad always got us pizza from that place when we went into the city.”

Ah. I get it now. I know Jessie understood mom was moving on, but she still clung to weird things sometimes. Mom and dad used to take us to that pizza parlor a lot. Dad was always weirdly eager to get that pizza, too.

“I’m sure whatever Vin gets will be good, too.”

Jessie shrugged. “I guess.” She played with the fringe on the pillow for a few seconds, ignoring Kevin who had cuddled up to her, then asked, “So, you didn’t hear from mom?”

I smiled softly. “Yeah. Mom’s taking dad back home now and then she’ll be back home.”

Jessie nodded with a weak smile, then sighed. She got up and headed back upstairs, probably to get ready. The second mom gets home, I know she’s going to ask to go to dad’s. I’m going to be the one that takes her when mom gets back. Mom’s not going back over there to deal with his crap. I think Vin needs some time alone with mom after yesterday, anyway.

I went to wait for Vin or mom in the kitchen. I was busy flipping through a magazine mom had left on the counter of dance shit for Jessie when the garage door opened, and in came mom.

She looked pissed. Not just irritated, but truly pissed more than I had ever seen before.

“Mom?”

She paced around the kitchen, rubbing her hands down her face. The way she was rubbing her eyes, I could tell she was trying to keep from crying. Not sad crying, but angry crying.

“Mom?! What happened?”

She shook her head, “Nothing. I just…” She sighed, looking with red-rimmed eyes out to the front room. Her eyes were on the window, staring past it.

I followed her line of sight and saw Miss Velma out on her lawn with a tall blonde woman. The woman was smiling and laughing with Vin’s mom.

The way mom was staring at her….

“Who is that?” I asked.

Mom’s lips thinned, her brows knitting together. “Mindy.”

I stood wondering what to do when mom sighed heavily again. She didn’t look as pissed. Just tired and sad.

“Mom!” Jessie yelled, coming down the stairs. “Mom! How’s dad?!”

I saw the struggle as my mom forcibly put a smile on her face.

“Good, sweetie. Your dad’s in bed resting. He’ll be fine. Grandma’s coming to stay with him, too.”

“Oh,” Jessie fidgeted on the stairs.

I already knew what she wanted. Mom did too.

“Do you want me to take you over there, baby?”

Jessie nodded shyly. “Can I?”

“Sure, sweetie,” mom smiled, but it was so sad. Too sad. Even Jessie’s face fell when she noticed.

“Mom?” Jessie looked concerned. “Are… Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” mom forced a bigger smile. “Just tired. “Go get ready. I’m going to go change, then we can head back to your dad’s. He’ll be happy to see you.” Mom then looked at me. “Do you want to come too?”

I would have normally offered to drive Jessie myself so mom could stay home. That’s what I was planning on, but something told me I needed to stay here and wait for Vin.

“Um, I can come later. I want to finish some stuff up here, if that’s okay?”

“Sure it is,” mom rubbed my cheek, then headed for the stairs.

When she was gone and we heard her door close, Jessie asked me, “Is mom really okay?”

I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know, Jess. Just go get ready.”

She frowned, but went off to do as she was told. She grumbled about everyone being in a bad mood the entire way up the stairs. I just rolled my eyes.

Yeah. Everyone was in a fucking bad mood, and mine just got a lot fucking worse. Who the hell was Miss Velma’s friend?

I stood by the front window, watching Miss Velma and the blonde chick named Mindy for a minute until they went back into the house. I then pulled out my phone.