Elsewhere: Black Heart Bracelet

4

***

My mom's grey Suburban is in the driveway as I pull up after work. She was here just a few days ago, but I'm glad to see her anyway. I immediately feel guilty that I only stopped to get one bouquet of flowers. Had I known mom was visiting, I'd have gotten her some as well. Goodness knows I'll have the money for an entire flower shop after working on the Hampton account. I am soaring on the clouds when I step in the door.

To my dismay, both my wife and my mother are on the couch in tears. My mother, a small, but athletic-looking woman, is holding Jussie while she blows snot into a tissue. I look at them with dread, wondering who has died.

"You should be ashamed, Richard," mom says. "Flowers? You think flowers will fix this?"

"Fix what?" I say and then it sinks in. I toss the flowers onto the table and they explode in a shower of yellow and pink petals.

"You're having an-" she pauses and tries to put her hand over Jussie's ear. The other ear is safely pressed against her bosom where Jussie sobs away "-affair." Mom says the last word discreetly, as if she's afraid the house will cave in if it finds out her awful secret.

Jussie howls and starts sobbing more violently. I've never seen her like this and it breaks my heart. In turn, it makes me angry.

"Justine, stop it," I say. "You're hurting yourself like this for no reason!"

"I saw you with her!" she shouts.

"Who?"

"That tramp at your work. Shannon Thorpe."

"Oh geez, Jussie. That's insane."

"I followed you, Richard! I saw you drive her to Park Central Hotel during lunch hour!"

"Yeah. Because we met a client there, and had lunch! How dare you believe that I'm seeing someone else? I'm sick of this. You're acting stupid."

"Richard!" my mom shouts, appalled at my reaction.

I don't care. I walk right out of there and slam the door. Let them talk it out together. Let them say what a good-for-nothing I am. See if I care. I won't be around to hear it.