Gentleman Nine(52)

“Are you sure you can’t just take the test now?” Annabelle asked.

“I’m positive. It’s too early, and I don’t want to have to go through it twice.”

“Okay. It’s probably fine. It was just one time. Try not to worry about it unless you have to.”

“Easier said than done, but okay.”

As I approached my building, I stopped dead in my tracks upon the sight of a woman who was sitting on the steps, looking like she was waiting for someone.

“Annabelle, I’ll call you back,” I said before hanging up the phone.

This wasn’t just any woman. It was Christine Lord, Channing’s mother.

What was she doing in Boston, and was she even fit to be here?

My heart was beating like crazy as I just observed her for a while. She was looking around and hadn’t noticed me yet.

Where’s her boyfriend?

Forcing my feet forward, I finally got her attention. “Christine?”

She stood up suddenly. “Amber?”

Still utterly confused, I embraced her.

“Are you waiting for Channing? He didn’t mention you were coming.”

“He’s going to be so mad that I’m here.”

My eyes widened. “He doesn’t know you’re here?”

“No. He wouldn’t let me come if I asked him first.”

“What made you come to Boston?”

Her eyes welled up. “Fred left me. He said he couldn’t handle things the way they are anymore. I didn’t know where else to turn. So, I booked a flight. I didn’t want to be alone. At the airport, I just gave the cabbie your street number that Channing had written down before he left and here I am.”

Swallowing my worry, I tried to remain cheerful for her sake as I waved my hand toward the door. “Well, let’s get you inside. It’s cold. Come. Please.”

My nerves were rattled. Channing was not going to be happy about this.

I made Christine some hot tea, and we sat for a while, catching up. She asked me not to call Channing at work. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to come home. I was happy and relieved to see that from what I was observing, she didn’t seem like she was losing her mind. That gave me hope that maybe things weren’t as bad as I’d imagined them to be.

I filled her in on my teaching assistant job, on working with Milo, and she was asking me how my parents were. Things seemed pretty normal. It was actually really good to see her; she reminded me of my childhood.

Later, Christine followed me into the kitchen, looked me in the eyes and asked, “What is it that you do?”

“Huh?”

“For work?”

I froze. An hour ago, we’d spent several minutes talking about my job. It was then that I saw firsthand what Channing had been referring to.

My heart broke as I began to explain to her what I did for a living as if it were the first time. She enthusiastically listened as I told her the same story all over again.

As we remained in the kitchen, I heard the front door open and braced myself for Channing’s reaction to seeing his mother standing there. I could hear him talking to Kitty.

When he walked in, his eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Mom? What are you doing here?”

“Surprise?” She smiled awkwardly.

“Yes, it is, and not a good one. You shouldn’t be here. Where’s Fred?”

“Fred broke up with me.”

Channing’s ears were turning red. “He what?” A vein popped out in his neck.

“He left me. He said he couldn’t handle things at home anymore. He sent your Aunt Laura over to stay with me for a few days. She left to go food shopping, and I snuck away, headed to the airport.” She shrugged. “And here I am.”

He looked irate. “How could Fred have not told me he walked out on you? I would’ve come home right away.”

“He said he was going to call you.”

“Well, he sure as fuck didn’t.” Channing rushed away.

I began to follow him. “Where are you going?”

“I’m calling Fred to rip him a new asshole.” He looked back at me. “Just go stay with my mother, please? Make sure she doesn’t come in while I’m talking to him.”

“Sure.”

Ten minutes later, he returned to the kitchen. His ears were still red, and he did not look happy.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Apparently, he sent me this long, rambling email that never got to me because he misspelled my fucking email address. He just forwarded it to me. I don’t even care what he has to say. The end result is the same.”

Channing walked over to Christine and pulled her into a hug, which warmed my heart and made me incredibly sad at the same time.

“Are you okay, Mom? I’m sorry I didn’t ask that first.”

“Not really. But I’m better now that I’m here.”

He looked her up and down. “You look like you could use a bath.”

“I could.” She laughed.

“Let me go draw you one.”

Channing got Christine set up in the bathroom. I gave him one of my Lush bath bombs for her. Once she was soaking in the tub with a magazine, he came back out to the living room.

Running his hand through his hair, he looked at me and said, “This is bad, Amber. This is really bad.”