I was also trying to think of a way I could make this a better night for mom. I didn’t want her sitting around in her room sulking the whole night. As the PC took out one of my pawns with a rook, an idea came to me. I got up, fished out my almost empty pack of smokes from my desk drawer, and then made my way onto my balcony.
The sun had already fallen and I had a great view of the lit up city in the horizon from up there. I took out my fourth last cigarette and sparked it to mull over my idea. Mom was applying her makeup when I walked into her room, because she was planning on going out for the night.
I didn’t see the point in wasting a perfectly good dinner reservation, so what I needed to do was get changed and take dad’s place. “Yea.” I shrugged and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Hopefully that’ll make her feel a little better.
Upon exhaling my last cloud, I crushed my cigarette into the ashtray which I’d placed on the table that was up there. Then I stepped back into my room, stripped out of my shirt, jeans and sneakers, and then walked over to my wardrobe. I got dressed up by putting on a long sleeved white shirt, a black suit, dark blue tie, and a pair of black shoes.
I assumed the restaurant mom was planning on going to demanded formal attire. Once I straightened my tie and fixed my messy brown hair in the mirror, I headed downstairs and stepped into the backyard, where I retrieved the grass and dirt stained necklace case which mom had thrown out her window.
I grabbed her smartphone as well. And to my surprise, it was still working. “Strong phone,” I said softly as I examined it. Mom didn’t drop the call before she threw her phone out, so once I did that I placed it inside my pocket and then headed back upstairs, where I knocked on mom’s door.
“Come in,” she said in a dejected tone.
I pushed her door open and found mom in bed, lying under a cover. She was dressed in what looked like a white nightdress, had mascara running down her cheeks and a couple of crunched up Kleenex tissues in her hand. I wasn’t accustomed to seeing her like that, which made it all the more heartbreaking. I walked further into the room and stood by the corner foot of her bed.
“Why’re you all dressed up, hun?” Mom sniffed, moved a little higher up her headboard and wiped her cheeks and nose with her tissues.
“I figured there was no good point in wasting the dinner reservation you made.” I took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Come on, mom. Throw your best dress on and let’s go paint the town red.”
She showed me a faint smile. “Thanks hun.” She sniffed. “You always know how to make me feel better. But I’m really not in the mood to go out anymore.” Mom shook her head.
I mulled for a moment. “Then what are you in the mood for?”
“Honey, why do you care? Shouldn’t you be at a party right about now?”
“Yea,” I raised my shoulders, “but I called and cancelled. I couldn’t bear the thought of you being alone tonight.”
“Aww…that’s so sweet.”
“Yep. I’m all yours for the night. So stop trying to get rid of me.”