as well.
“I know that it’s been a while since Marshall has spoken with you,” Jules said a little hesitantly. “But family’s important, in my opinion, and I think he’d want you here, on his big day.”
My immediate thought was of the nightclub—if it could spare me for the wedding. I was devoted to it. Perhaps I could just go to the ceremony and skip the reception. Depending on where they lived, I could even make it back to the nightclub in time for opening.
“I would want to be there,” I said. “I’ll have to arrange some things with my work, of course.”
“Of course,” Jules agreed smoothly. “I just think—Marshall hardly talks about you. My parents aren’t in my life anymore, but it’s because they both died during my teens. I would hate for him to miss out on knowing his mother, especially when we don’t live but two hours away from each other.”
Two hours. That might be a push, but as long as the ceremony was early in the day, I could still probably make it back to the nightclub.
“Hell,” Jules said mildly, laughing. “This is probably pure selfishness on my part. I miss my parents. I miss having that rock in my life, knowing that my parents are there for me. I want to know you, Mrs. Dupree. I want you in our lives.”
“Well, the first thing you need to do is stop calling me Mrs. Dupree,” I said, smiling. “It’s Mama.”
“Mama,” Jules said, seeming to try it out. “I think I can do that, Mama. That feels good.”
I smiled. My son had found a sweet girl to share his life with.
I heard a quiet commotion on the other end of the line.
“Marshall, I think you should—”
“Is that her? Are you talking to her? I thought we’d agreed —”
“I think it’s important, honey. It’s your mother—”
“She hasn’t been, not for a long time. Let me—”
“No, Marshall, please—”
“Hello?”
My breath hitched. My son, a man grown. His voice was deep, rich, but suspicious. It cut me.
“Hey, sugar,” I said, my lips trembling. “It’s Mama.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You haven’t been my Mama for a very long time.”
I heard Jules say something in a horrified tone in the background, but I only had ears for my son. I deserved to be punished. He was right. I hadn’t been his Mama in a long time.
“I would like to be there for you again, sugar,” I said. “I would like to go to your wedding. I would like to meet your wife.”
“I can’t even remember what you look like,” Marshall said. “The woman I’m preparing to spend the rest of my life with sent you that invitation. Consider it null and void. She doesn’t understand what you are.”
I choked back a sob. “Marshall, baby, please….”
“I begged you like this,” he said. “Remember? When you were leaving me? That’s my earliest fucking memory.”
“Watch your mouth, son,” I said automatically, a kneejerk reaction.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he said. “And you never get to call me son.”
The call cut off and I was certain that he’d hung up on me. I let the wedding invitation drop into the trash and poured myself a drink. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the nightclub now. That was one thing.
Whiskey and salt tears. That was my cocktail of choice in the days that followed that phone call.
“Wanda?”
Pitt’s concerned voice dragged me back to the present.
“I was just thinking about calling my son,” I said, smiling and holding the paper up. My hand was shaking, so I lowered it again. “Thank you for this opportunity.”
“You have the time,” Pitt said. “Think about spending some of it knitting your family back together.”
“I will,” I vowed.
Marlee was waiting for me outside. “Ready?” she asked me.
“As I can be,” I said.
We walked to the common room for our weekly AA meeting. We helped set up the last of the chairs as everyone converged. Desiree sat on one side of me and Marlee on the other. They’d
“I know that it’s been a while since Marshall has spoken with you,” Jules said a little hesitantly. “But family’s important, in my opinion, and I think he’d want you here, on his big day.”
My immediate thought was of the nightclub—if it could spare me for the wedding. I was devoted to it. Perhaps I could just go to the ceremony and skip the reception. Depending on where they lived, I could even make it back to the nightclub in time for opening.
“I would want to be there,” I said. “I’ll have to arrange some things with my work, of course.”
“Of course,” Jules agreed smoothly. “I just think—Marshall hardly talks about you. My parents aren’t in my life anymore, but it’s because they both died during my teens. I would hate for him to miss out on knowing his mother, especially when we don’t live but two hours away from each other.”
Two hours. That might be a push, but as long as the ceremony was early in the day, I could still probably make it back to the nightclub.
“Hell,” Jules said mildly, laughing. “This is probably pure selfishness on my part. I miss my parents. I miss having that rock in my life, knowing that my parents are there for me. I want to know you, Mrs. Dupree. I want you in our lives.”
“Well, the first thing you need to do is stop calling me Mrs. Dupree,” I said, smiling. “It’s Mama.”
“Mama,” Jules said, seeming to try it out. “I think I can do that, Mama. That feels good.”
I smiled. My son had found a sweet girl to share his life with.
I heard a quiet commotion on the other end of the line.
“Marshall, I think you should—”
“Is that her? Are you talking to her? I thought we’d agreed —”
“I think it’s important, honey. It’s your mother—”
“She hasn’t been, not for a long time. Let me—”
“No, Marshall, please—”
“Hello?”
My breath hitched. My son, a man grown. His voice was deep, rich, but suspicious. It cut me.
“Hey, sugar,” I said, my lips trembling. “It’s Mama.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You haven’t been my Mama for a very long time.”
I heard Jules say something in a horrified tone in the background, but I only had ears for my son. I deserved to be punished. He was right. I hadn’t been his Mama in a long time.
“I would like to be there for you again, sugar,” I said. “I would like to go to your wedding. I would like to meet your wife.”
“I can’t even remember what you look like,” Marshall said. “The woman I’m preparing to spend the rest of my life with sent you that invitation. Consider it null and void. She doesn’t understand what you are.”
I choked back a sob. “Marshall, baby, please….”
“I begged you like this,” he said. “Remember? When you were leaving me? That’s my earliest fucking memory.”
“Watch your mouth, son,” I said automatically, a kneejerk reaction.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he said. “And you never get to call me son.”
The call cut off and I was certain that he’d hung up on me. I let the wedding invitation drop into the trash and poured myself a drink. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the nightclub now. That was one thing.
Whiskey and salt tears. That was my cocktail of choice in the days that followed that phone call.
“Wanda?”
Pitt’s concerned voice dragged me back to the present.
“I was just thinking about calling my son,” I said, smiling and holding the paper up. My hand was shaking, so I lowered it again. “Thank you for this opportunity.”
“You have the time,” Pitt said. “Think about spending some of it knitting your family back together.”
“I will,” I vowed.
Marlee was waiting for me outside. “Ready?” she asked me.
“As I can be,” I said.
We walked to the common room for our weekly AA meeting. We helped set up the last of the chairs as everyone converged. Desiree sat on one side of me and Marlee on the other. They’d
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