Mom flew into the kitchen all smiles and full of good morning kisses for everyone. It never ceased to amaze me how she could wake so chipper every morning, no matter how little sleep she got the night before.
“How are my handsome babies this morning?” she nearly sang to her sleepy crew as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Maze came out from under the table and sat patiently waiting for a rub between the ears. He’s so predictable.
“How can you be so awake, Mom? You must have stayed up half the night working on that speech.” Alik echoed my thoughts exactly.
“I’m too excited to be sleepy. You know how long I’ve been working on this project. To be able to share my results with the scientific community is a dream come true!”
She had worked hard. We’ve been watching her, helping when we could. But most of the time we just tried to be quiet and let her work in her lab at the back of the house. This morning she was positively bubbling.
“Okay, so here’s the plan,” mom began a play-by-play of the next two days for the umpteenth time. “I’ll leave here in twenty minutes and drive the four and a half hours to the DFW airport to catch my 1:47 flight to Los Angeles. I’ll call to let you know I landed safely at 7pm your time. My conference begins with that big boring dinner at 7pm Pacific Standard Time, that will be 9pm your time. I won’t call afterward because it will be too late and you had better be sound asleep.” She said all this without taking a breath while adding to her ever-growing list of chores we were to accomplish in her absence.
I marveled at her meticulous organization, at her ability to talk and write at the same time, at the beauty she hid behind those dorky glasses. I remembered when she first came home wearing them. I think they came with a guarantee to not only correct her vision but as an effective man repellant.
Mom never dated. Ever. She was only forty-two and drop-dead-gorgeous behind those fifties glasses. She was a brilliant-minded scientist but never once did she even mention finding a companion. And don’t ask me about our father. I have no idea what happened there.
I zoned for a moment and must have missed something very important because mom is staring at me expectantly.
“Well, Meg?”
I have no idea what she just said. “Sure, mom. I’m on it.”
“Excellent. All right then, boys. Help me get the bags to the truck, please. Remember, there is plenty of food in the pantry, and I made extra lasagna. Bedtime is at 8:30 sharp. Brush your teeth, say your prayers and wake on time.
“I may very well call in the morning just to be sure you’re not wasting the day in bed. I love you all so much. I’ll be home tomorrow night at 10pm your time. Don’t wait up for me, but know I’ll come in to kiss you when I get home.”
All this she said as she marched with purpose outside to the truck. Her simple briefcase filled with her laptop and power point presentation, was slung over her shoulder. She looked confident and exhilarated until she turned to hug us good-bye.
“Now listen to me you three. I have never left you alone before, and I’m really anxious about the idea of doing it now. Bringing you with me isn’t an option, but leaving you here doesn’t completely ease my fears either.” Mom kept talking and my mind began wandering.
Did I mention she tended to be a little paranoid? Okay, a lot paranoid.
Mom had trained us to protect ourselves, to survive battle and kill if necessary, since before we could even remember. See, she put herself through medical school by serving in the military. There, she had been some sort of special ops soldier. Our mom may look fragile on the outside, but inside she has nerves of steel and the training to back it up. I wouldn’t want to go up against her. She’s got some serious skills.
Our homeschooling wasn’t just based on reading, writing and arithmetic. No, we had several other subjects in which we were schooled.
While other moms are out there watching cooking shows, our mom was watching us design and disarm explosives. Other moms were driving in a carpool while our mom was teaching us how to drive our fists through slats of wood. Other kids our age played soft ball and had band practice. We played laser tag and simulated target practice. Mom was paranoid, all right. And she taught us to think there was good reason to be.
“I love you all so much. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen, Mom, except you may find yourself missing your flight and your own coming-out science party.” Alik grinned sweetly. He loved to tease her.
“Oh, you’re right Alik. I’d better go. Expect my call at 7pm! I love you!” She was still waving as she drove down our dirt road. Dust billows rose behind the conservative SUV and lingered in the air long after mom was out of sight.
Evan, Alik and I looked at each other warily. Maze let out a soft whine and stared anxiously after mom. It was going to be a long thirty-six hours.
Chapter 2 Found