My son's fingers stilled then dropped away from his face. A crooked grin
twisted his mouth. "I guess not, huh?" I couldn't help but smile back at
his wry comment. However he shook his head in refusal. "Still. I can't. I
get migraines when my eyes are like this." He gestured to one of the three
the open windows that lined the living letting light shine in through their
dirty smudged glass. "The sunlight aggravates them."
"Oh." I repeated my son's earlier exclamation at a loss for what else to say. Thinking quickly I tried to come up with something, anything to say. A thought flittered through my brain and I grabbed it like a drowning woman. "How long has this been going on?"
Xander's face scrunched up in thought. "Uh, a couple years?" I frowned. ^I know I was really out of it. But was I that out of it? Or is he just really good at hiding?^ Xander hastily added. "Don't worry. When the migraine fades I'll change them back. It's just not a good idea to force the issue." My frown deepened. ^He sounds ashamed again.^
"Don't worry, honey. I'm not mad. Take your time." I said soothingly forgoing the lecture I felt building inside me. ^I'm going to break him of that shame or my name isn't Elizabeth Matilda Pryce.^ I blinked in surprise at my internal use of my full, well full maiden, name. ^Hmm, I didn't know I still had that rich snob in me.^
"I'm just wondering how I missed this." ^Among other things.^
"Well mom- I did try and avoid you as much as possible." My focus snapped out of the past and back onto his face as he pointed out the truth ruthlessly. There were shades of regret in his voice but I got the overall impression that he wanted to get a little of his own back.
I smiled weakly, "I can't say as I blame you." I looked closely at my son. He wasn't a little boy that could forget all the things that I had done or hadn't done to him. He was a grown man of… I did the math quickly in my head, 17 years. A junior in high school for Christ's sake! Next year he would graduate and leave. Probably without a second thought in my direction they way things stood now. I was his mother but obviously he didn't need mothering. Maybe I could try for his friend? I straightened a little at the prospect. I didn't know really how to be a mother. I glanced at my son, who was looking a mite nervous at the continued silence surrounding us, and admitted that truth in every fiber of myself. However I was a good friend. I snorted silently. ^It's just that lately my friends have all been drug heads hitting me up for money.^
"Do you want me to tell you about your father?" I asked suddenly breaking the building silence and offering a tentative olive branch of friendship to my estranged son.
"Oh." I repeated my son's earlier exclamation at a loss for what else to say. Thinking quickly I tried to come up with something, anything to say. A thought flittered through my brain and I grabbed it like a drowning woman. "How long has this been going on?"
Xander's face scrunched up in thought. "Uh, a couple years?" I frowned. ^I know I was really out of it. But was I that out of it? Or is he just really good at hiding?^ Xander hastily added. "Don't worry. When the migraine fades I'll change them back. It's just not a good idea to force the issue." My frown deepened. ^He sounds ashamed again.^
"Don't worry, honey. I'm not mad. Take your time." I said soothingly forgoing the lecture I felt building inside me. ^I'm going to break him of that shame or my name isn't Elizabeth Matilda Pryce.^ I blinked in surprise at my internal use of my full, well full maiden, name. ^Hmm, I didn't know I still had that rich snob in me.^
"I'm just wondering how I missed this." ^Among other things.^
"Well mom- I did try and avoid you as much as possible." My focus snapped out of the past and back onto his face as he pointed out the truth ruthlessly. There were shades of regret in his voice but I got the overall impression that he wanted to get a little of his own back.
I smiled weakly, "I can't say as I blame you." I looked closely at my son. He wasn't a little boy that could forget all the things that I had done or hadn't done to him. He was a grown man of… I did the math quickly in my head, 17 years. A junior in high school for Christ's sake! Next year he would graduate and leave. Probably without a second thought in my direction they way things stood now. I was his mother but obviously he didn't need mothering. Maybe I could try for his friend? I straightened a little at the prospect. I didn't know really how to be a mother. I glanced at my son, who was looking a mite nervous at the continued silence surrounding us, and admitted that truth in every fiber of myself. However I was a good friend. I snorted silently. ^It's just that lately my friends have all been drug heads hitting me up for money.^
"Do you want me to tell you about your father?" I asked suddenly breaking the building silence and offering a tentative olive branch of friendship to my estranged son.