The Further Adventures
Moms
“The Joy Luck Club” is almost over.
He asks, “So what was your mom like?”
“I just remember her being a beautiful social butterfly. I wish I’d known her better, but I was young when she died.” I can feel my jaw tighten. I don’t want to talk about this.
“What about yours?”
“It was hard for her, being an unwed teenage mother. My dad occasionally showed up, but it was my stepfather that took care of us. She never stopped thinking about Dad, though.”
I put my arm around him and try to think of something to say.
Meet Cute?
I’m working the cash bar at another big wedding. There’s this guy sitting there on the barstool. He just orders water, but then it looks like he’s drinking a chardonnay. Not my business.
I’m telling him about my daughter’s college application woes. He’s a good listener. Maybe he should’ve been a bartender.
Up comes this other guy, in a tux that must’ve cost him something. Sits at the bar. Orders a single malt.
The two guys are both checking each other out. Trying not to get noticed. Chardonnay reaches out, brushes Scotch’s wrist. A moment later, they leave together. Huh.
Kittens
“Let’s get a kitten!”
“I am not a pet person. I fight evildoers.”
He drags me to the car anyway, and we’re off to the animal rescue.
We sit in a room with dozens of kittens and cats. I sit there quietly, wondering when we can go home. He is trying to entice one, then another, to come over and play with him. He is not succeeding.
A little gray kitten climbs my pant leg onto my lap, purrs, and falls asleep. I don’t know who is more surprised.
“I can walk on water, you know,” he mutters to nobody.