Mockingbird: a Songbird Sequel INCOMPLETE- ON GALATEA 11/10

One: Colt

Lennie and I stood there in silence before my mom made her way back in. "Sorry I bothered you," she said a bit sheepishly. "Just shocked the heck outta me."

"Of course it did. We needed to know," Lennie smiled sweetly. She hugged my mother tightly. "We'll see you in a week."

"Have a good trip."

"Bye, Ma," I stated, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Get home safe."

I gave her a nod and held the door open for Lennie, who just walked past me and straight to the truck. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I followed, anticipating the fight I knew was coming.

We rode in silence for a few moments before I couldn't take it any more. "You mad at me now, too?"

"I'm not mad," she insisted, though not very convincingly, as her eyes stayed locked on the window.

"Yep. That's why it looks like you're about to tuck n roll at any given moment."

Lennie sighed heavily and shook her head. "I just don't understand why you have to talk to him like that."

"Like what, Len?"

"Like he's a total screw-up," she answered. "I get that he messed up, but what kid doesn't? You'd get farther if you gave him a bit of understanding."

"Like you do when you're coddling him?"

She went stick straight. "I do not coddle him. I just don't blow my top the very second I talk to him."

"I don't either."

"Bullshit."

I rolled my eyes. "Glad you got this parenting thing all figured out, Len," I muttered under my breath, though judging by the glare she shot me, she definitely heard me.

"Glad you've got the condescending thing down, COLT," she retorted mockingly before going silent once again.

The only sounds the rest of the drive were the tires crunching the gravel and our breathing. The second I put the truck into park, Lennie hopped out, heading to the house without so much as stopping to pet the dogs who were giddy over our arrival.

"Len, come on," I groaned pleadingly as I got out and shut the door. "This isn't how I want to start our vacation."

"Try not being an asshole, then," she snapped before disappearing into the house, the screen door slamming like we were in a hurricane behind her.

"Fûck!" I shouted, delivering a swift kick to the tire of my truck. Hurt more than I anticipated so then I jumped around a bit. I looked down at Randy and Milo who were staring at me whining. "What? You guys wanna be mad at me too?"

Randy gave me a bit of a bark, but Milo just leaned forward and licked my hand.

"At least someone likes me," I mumbled, scratching his head a bit before I headed inside. I could already hear the shower running, which I knew meant Lennie wasn't interested in continuing our conversation. Really screwed the pooch on this one, Hayes.

Apparently the length of her shower wasn't long enough away from me because she kept herself locked in the bathroom long after the water turned off. Finally, I had enough of laying in bed in the silence so I got up and tapped the door with my knuckle.

"Will you please stop ignoring me?" I asked, my voice soft. "I'm sorry."

"You can't just say I'm sorry because you want a fight to be over, Colt. You have to mean it," her voice came back. I could tell she was trying for it to be angry, but it came off more sad than anything else.

"I do, baby. I am sorry," I insisted. "I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"You shouldn't have snapped at Beau either."

"I know."

She cracked open the door a bit, and steam billowed out. "We were literally telling him the same thing. Notice how he heard me, and argued with you? Why do you think that is?"

"I get it," I groaned. "He just knows how to push my buttons."

"He's supposed to. He's your son. It's your job not to let him," Lennie stated. "He wouldn't react like that if you didn't come at him in the same way."

"I know. I'm trying. I just... I don't want him to mess up his life, ya know?" I stated. "He's already got colleges scouting him for baseball. If he goes and knocks her up or... gets arrested at some party or something, that's all shot..."

"Not necessarily," Lennie contradicted. "But banning him from having sex and partying sure ain't gonna stop it from happening, Colt. It'll just make him get better at sneaking around."

"You think it already has?" I asked, my face contorted with concern. "You think they've...?"

She shrugged. "Hasn't said a word to me. But let's not pretend like you were an angel at his age. How old were you when you lost it at summer camp?"

"Fourteen," I mumbled. She just stared at me. "Okay, okay. I hear you."

"If you want him to talk to you, Colt, you gotta be willing to listen."

"I AM."

"You don't act like it sometimes."

"I know," I sighed, hanging my head. "I honestly don't mean to be such a dick, I just..."

"Baby, I know you don't," Lennie assured, her voice now soft and sweet like it usually was. She reached up and brushed her hand against my cheek and I gratefully leaned into her touch. "I know you're trying. And I know you get frustrated with him, hell, I do too. But you're the adult here. You're in control."

I chuckled a bit at that. "Sure doesn't feel like it sometimes."

"I know."

"I'm sorry," I stated, putting a hand on her towel-covered hip and pulling her toward me to plant a kiss on her head. "Despite how I act sometimes, I really don't want both my kid and my wife to hate me."

"I ain't your wife yet, Cowboy."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah? Fairly certain I remember marrying you in the fourth grade..."

She let out a laugh that sounded a bit like a wind chime. "I hardly think our grade school playground wedding counts. Pretty sure you pushed me off the slide right after."

"I did not!" I with a laugh as she pulled back and headed toward our bed. "I tripped!"

"Right."

I watched as she plucked a Tshirt of mine from the dresser and shrugged it on, tossing her towel on a nearby chair. "Am I forgiven?" I asked, still posted against the doorframe.

She gave me a sweet smile as she grabbed her lotion and sank into the mattress. "Always, Colton. Always."

Thank God for that.