Staying Grounded [BXB]

Rock and a Hard Place

CRAIG:

Kathryn's silver Audi parked on our driveway is not a welcome sight.

I pull Roxy in alongside, shut off her engine, and take several moments to blankly stare at the house while savouring the last dregs of my pleasant high. Once I'm inside, it'll not take long for me to sink.

If I'd stayed in college this afternoon, I'd have arrived home about an hour ago. Meaning Gary's had about an hour to play his favourite game.

Can't hide out in the car forever, though. Only delaying the inevitable.

"Craig?" Mum calls from the kitchen the instant I've snicked the front door closed behind me, and that alone is enough to make my stomach drop.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Come here, please."

That she's acknowledging my entrance is unusual, never mind summoning me for an audience.

"One sec," I yell, taking off my Vans. Kathryn's needling titter carries along the hall as I line the pair up alongside the welcome mat, and my dragging crawl toward it feels much like a plank walk into shark-infested water. "Hey."

The two women are sitting with cups of tea at the breakfast bar when I step through. Stopping just inside the doorway, I see Christopher in his highchair happily squishing grapes into the tray. He immediately looks up and garbles at me. Kathryn turns her head to flash a too-chirpy smile, but Mum reacts to my appearance with little more than the tight pursing of her lips.

Like hell am I going to start this off. "What's up, little dude?" I return Christopher's eager grin, moving a pace closer to him. "That's quite the mess you've —"

"Leave him be," Mum snaps, her blue gaze slamming me before I can take a second step. "He's perfectly content."

"Oh. Kay."

She doesn't stay fixed on me for long. "You can save your fussing of him for after we're done here."

"Done with what?" I force myself to ask.

This must be just as tough for her as it is for me. Sliding a sideways glance at Kathryn, as if for support, she appears to be gearing up for an interaction greater than we've shared in weeks, possibly even years.

Stalling a little with a sip of her tea, Mum swallows and modestly clears her throat. I'm deliberating the worth of making a hot beverage of my own, just for something to do to distract from the tension, when she finally chooses her point to begin. "How have you spent your day, Craig?"

My eyes catch on Kathryn, looking on with a reserved curiosity, and I work to school my expression correspondingly before I hedge, "I've been to college, Mum."

"And this afternoon?"

"I... took a half-day."

"Why?"

"Because." I've got nothing. "I'm on top of all my work."

A cough from Kathryn scarcely covers her slip of amusement while Mum frowns at me like I've just told her the blackest kind of lie. "Oh?" she says. "Well, I fail to see how when you've been absent from a majority of your classes all week."

And, okay, that's Gary's first card on the table, and we're into the game. But I'm not unprepared for this play. "My tutors permitted me to take study leave in the library. You can call and check. Or, if you give me a minute, I have the permission slips in my bag, all signed off. I work better alone, that's all."