“You know your father and I have always been huge philanthropists, Serafin. Why have all this money if you’re not going to share some with worthy causes? We raised you better than that!”
I throw my head back and laugh. She really has no idea what I’m talking about. She really thinks I’m mad they donate money to charity.
“Worthy causes like convincing me the love of my life abandoned me?” I shout. Her eyes turn from rage to fear in an instant and she puts her hands out in front of her like she expects me to attack her. She slowly steps backwards into the wall.
“Mother, I have never put hands on you before,” I growl. “Stop being hysterical and tell me the truth. Your little boo hoo baby act isn’t going to work on me like it did with dad. Besides, I’m pissed at him too.”
“You were so young, love,” she says. Her voice is wavering like she’s trying to hold something back. “We were all so traumatized by your accident, nobody was thinking straight. It was just the simplest solution.”
“She’s the only woman I ever cared about, mom. You knew that.”
“I know that now,” she says. “Back then, I didn’t believe in love. Me and your father believed in practicality. When I was coming of age, you didn’t have the luxury of marrying someone because you were in love with them. You married someone, and you learned how to love them. On the surface it’s much easier that way.”
“You didn’t love dad?” I think back on how happy they seemed to be together, at least during the happy times, but there was always something missing in their interactions with each other. Their relationship was always more of a transactional thing with set expectations for one another. I just assumed it was because they were both very conservative people. I never thought maybe it was because they really weren’t in love.
“I loved your father the best I could with what I was given,” she says. “And I loved that he gave me a beautiful son. You have always been the most important thing to me, Serafin. That’s why I thought I was doing you a favor by making sure you wouldn’t have to go through the pain of trying to be with a woman like that.”
I like the words she’s saying, but I don’t like the tone she’s taking. The way she emphasizes ‘woman like that’ leads me to believe she still thinks she did the right thing. I know I’m not going to make overnight progress with her, but it’s time she knows I’m not her little child anymore. I’m a man now, and it’s not her job to protect me anymore, no matter how good her intentions were.
“She is a very talented artist, I must say,” my mom says, staring off sadly into space. “I’d really love to see more of her work.”
“I’m sure I can arrange that.”
“Have you been talking to her?” Her thin eyebrows pinch together on her forehead, and just like that, she’s back to being a witch.
“What are you going to do, mom, take her to court? Her family burned through any money you gave her. All she has are the clothes on her back and this painting.”
It never had to be like this.
I could’ve put a stop to this a long time ago.
If it wasn’t for this woman standing in front of me, Mia would’ve never had to go through the suffering she went through to get to this point.
And it pisses me off.
“Last I heard she was married to a police officer, Serafin. I don’t think that’s something you want to get yourself involved in. For the business.”
“She’s divorced,” I growl.
“Even better,” she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “No proper priest is going to marry you. Why do you always want to make things so difficult?”
“I almost thought you’d changed, mom. Just for one minute I thought maybe you weren’t as fucked in the head as I always thought you were.”
“Well, if you had to live with the shit your father put me through, you’d be just as ‘fucked in the head’ as me. I shielded you. I protected you.”
“You made me into a criminal, mom. And your attempt to protect me sealed the nail in the coffin that I’m going to spend the rest of my fucking life alone. What you did to Mia was completely unacceptable! Hiding it from me was the cruelest thing anyone could’ve ever done.” I punch my fist off the table, and she steps back, smoothing her long floral skirt. Her gaze goes over my shoulder and her lips tighten up, and I squeeze my eyes shut and let out a sigh as I realize Mia is standing directly behind me.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Mia says, her eyes darting nervously around the room. Her voice is so quiet, it’s nearly a whisper. “I’ll be going now.”
“No,” my mother says, her nostrils flaring with anger. “I’ll be going now. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your life anymore, Serafin.” Her high heels click clack off the marble floor as she storms off.
“You’re right, mom!” I shout after her. “You’ve done enough interfering for the both of us.”
I throw my hands up in the air with a disgruntled sigh, and Mia just stands in the corner looking like she just saw a ghost.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your family. I knew this was a bad idea. Why don’t you go after her? You can tell her I was just passing through town.”
“I’m not a kid anymore, Mia,” I say. “This is my home and I want you here. I need you here.”
I’m not a kid and neither is she. I’m not dancing around what I want anymore, and I’m not playing by my parents rules. I’m not playing by
