The next morning, I get a text from my mom saying shes on her way over. Just great. We haven't spoken since the other night when the bomb dropped, so I can't even imagine the shit she's gonna say when she gets here. That mouth on her has no filter. Must be where I get it from.
Shane's still asleep as I creep bare foot across the wooden floors to the kitchen. Mom doesn't bother knocking as she just casually walks through the door. "Coffee?" I offer. She waves a hand and just sits on a stool at the counter.
"Where's Shane?" She peers around.
"Asleep." I answer shortly, annoyed she wont just get to it.
"Well, I will wake him up. I'm taking him for the day." She informs me.
"Excuse me? No. We have plans today." I lie. She isn't just about to take my kid without asking.
"Doing what? Taking him around that club full of felon pigs?" She snaps, green eyes ablaze.
"Why don't you just say everything you want about Shank." I tell her.
"What's to say? You met him in prison! You should have known better!" She shrieks, her face turning slightly red.
"Yup. And say what you want, but Shank wants to be a part of his son's life." I don't exactly know that for sure. Yeah, he said stay in town with him, but hasn't made too much effort to do anything. He's still probably trynna wrap his head around all of this.
Mom shakes her head, greying red hair swaying a little. "You're unbelievable. He and that club are no good." She fixes me with one of her motherly stares.
"Thats for me to decide." I shrug.
"Mom?" Shane appears in the doorway of his room in just his little blue plaid pajama pants.
"Hungry?" I ask him. There's a knock on the door, interrupting his answer.
"Can I?" He asks me. I nod. Only one other person.
Shank's boots are heard as he makes his way to the kitchen, following his mini me. "You need to stop letting him answer the door. Never know who's on the other side." He totally ignores my mom. Well, good morning to you too.
"Need? Great, now you have a man telling you what to do." Mom rolls her eyes. She's never been keen on being told what to do. Male or female.
Shank sets his ever lasting glare on my mom. "He's right." I pipe up before they start fighting.
"Of course." Mom mutters before getting up and grabbing her purse. "I'm leaving." She announces like it's not obvious.
"Ok." I shrug and watch as she leaves through the kitchen and into the living room. I hear the front door open and slam. It's ok, the doors used to it at this point.
"Shank, do you want some of mom's pancakes, they're really good." Shane climbs into one of the high stools next to where Shank stands. He looks at his son, then me, then back to Shane before shrugging his broad shoulders and sitting next to his son. I smile at the sight of them side by side. Its like comparing a baby picture to a graduation photo.
I turn and get a large bowl from under the cupboard and reach for the mix on a high shelf. Even on my tippy toes, I don't reach. "I got it, mom." Shane climbs on the counter beside me. I laugh as I hold the monkey steady. My little helper.
Turning back around, I catch Shanks eyes rising from where my ass was a second ago to my face, a smug grin making its way on his face. "How old are you, buddy?" He turns to where Shane has returned to his seat beside him.
"Almost 7. I'll be in second grade when school starts up again. I started school early." Shane smiles proudly.
"And you're good in school?" Shank asks. My son nods.
"Don't lie." I warn him. His smile falters a little as he takes a dramatic deep breath to explain. I see Shanks lip twitch.
"I hit an older boy in his face at recess last year." Shane says. His father encourages him to go on. Good luck. I still don't know why he did that. My kid isn't violent. I almost couldn't believe the principal when he called.
"He called me a bastard and said he wouldn't want to claim me either. And grandma told me that a bastard was someone with no father. So I punched him." His voice is small. I stop mixing the pancake batter to look at him.
"Shane! Why didn't you tell me?" I ask him. Shank gives me a dark look.
"Because you never want to talk about my father." He replies. His voice is wobbly. I take a deep breath.
"You still should have told me. He had no right to say that. That's not true." I assure him. He just glances up at Shank.
"Sure as fuck ain't true, kid." He assures him too. I almost smile except for his word choice. Shane beats me to it.
"Mom says no cursing around me. It makes you sound uneducated." He mimicks my motherly look and I laugh at Shank's face.
"Is that so?" He looks at me. I just raise a cocky eyebrow in response.
He looks back at his son. "Chicks dig that shit, son." He refuses my argument. I gape at him. Shane just looks at me, unsure of who to listen to.
"Always listen to me. I'm your mother. And no cursing until you're like 30." I wave the wisk at him. He nods.
"Good. Go get ready for the day and your pancakes will be ready when you come out." I motion to the bathroom. He jumps off the stool and bounces to the shower.
"He bathes himself?" Shank glances to where Shane disappeared.
"Yeah."
Awkward silence follows.
"He was a little less shy today." I try to strike a conversation.
"Still called me Shank, though." He grunts.
I shrug. "He needs time, Shank." I pour some batter on a skillet.
"I like those shorts." He's suddenly behind me. I try to elbow his ribs but he's made of steel. He takes the bowl out of my hand and sets in on the counter before hoisting me up to bend me over it. Flashbacks to our time spent in prison together reel like a movie in my head, this position oddly familiar.
A chill from his touch runs through me. I let out a breathy moan. He leans over me just like he used to. The memory of waiting for him outside the gate flashes to and I suddenly feel cold. I jump away from him and kick myself in the ass for almost falling in the same trap.
"Don't. I'm your son's mom, not your booty call. I will never lower myself to that position again. We clear?" I glare at him. He glares back but I can see the evident lust in his eyes. And the bulge in his jeans. "Shank!" I snap.
"Crystal, babe." He replies then reaches around me to flip the pancake.
"Bitch! You will never believe what Panik- oh! Hey, Shank." Lacie bursts into my house then changes course as soon as she sees me and this tall sexy man standing face to face in my kitchen. Shank breaks eye contact with me and glances at Lace.
"Lace." He grunts a greeting.
"Am I interrupting?" Her eyes bounces back and forth between us. I shake my head, stepping away from Shank.
He takes the pancake off the skillet and starts eating it, while making the rest. Shane runs back out and up to the counter just as shank places a plate in front of him. Shane instantly reaches for the butter.
"There's already butter on them, Son." He says. Shane presses his food with a fork but sees no butter rise.
"Not enough." He replies and slaps more in there.
Shank looks at me. "Trust me, he'll burn that off. You saw how much he just bounces and runs around. Little energizer bunny." I laugh. Shank grabs another plate and hands it to me before slapping my ass in the direction of a stole.
"Shane, I swear to God!" I growl at him. He grins again at my use of his real name. Yet he still has hard eyes.
"Sit that fat ass of yours down, babe." He growls. Most girls would take his words to offense but he didn't say I was fat, he said my ass was fat. And I like that.
"Looks like you two are getting along well." Lacie's dry sarcasm is in my right ear as she sits on the other side of me. I snort unladylike in response.
Shank makes Lace food too, much to her surprise. I honestly think shes about to have a heart attack. "Thanks." She tries to smile at him, but it looks more like a grimace.
"As you were saying. What did Panik do? I met him, by the way. You were not exaggerating." I grin over at my best friend. She smirks back and wiggles her eyebrows.
"Right. You should see him naked. Muscle every where." She winks at me.
"Mom!" Shane exclaims beside me, covering his ears. I laugh. I know it's not appropriate but its funny.
"Sorry, buddy. Aunt Lacie forgot mommy was raising a monk." Lace jokes while smirking at me. I swat her arm.
"What's a monk?" My son asks.
"Eat your food." I tell him. He can google it later if he really cares.
"I prefer we not talk about Panik naked, either." I forgot Shank was here for a second. I roll my eyes at him.
"We weren't talking to you." I retort. Shank just continues to glare.
Lace sends me a look that promises we will talk later. And not just about her and Panik.
"Done! Can I go outside now, Mom?" Shane bounces to the floor and puts his dishes in the sink.
"Did you feed your rabbit?" I ask him. He nods.
"Is his cage cleaned?" I ask again. He paused to think for a moment then shakes his head. I point to his room.
"Can I take him for the day?" Shank watches me from across the granite counter. Lacie immediately takes her plate into the living room.
"I don't know. He's still a little shy, Shank." I mean, he's talking to him which is more than yesterday but that doesn't exactly mean he's ready to spend a while day alone with him.
Shank just nods. I know he's kinda hurt by this and pissed at me because its my fault he's estranged from his son. But it wasnt all my fault. But that's a fight for another day.
Shane comes back out, carrying his rabbits bigger cage outside to hose it out.
"Shane!" I call for him. He peeks his head inside from the front porch. "You wanna spend the day with Shank?" I ask him. I'll let him decide. He smiles wide and nods, ditching the rabbit cage to run inside.
"Really? What will we do?" He asks his dad excitedly. Shank glances at me for a minute, unsure of what kids do these days. "What do you want to do?" Shank asks him. That's the wrong question. Our six year old bounces with so much energy.
"Can we go to the park? Or the movies and get lots of candy?" He asks Shank. His father looks at me and I shrug. Hes the one who will have to deal with a sugar loaded kid, not me. Hopefully he'll crash by the time I get him.
"Sure." Shank tells Shane. I grin to myself. What better way to learn what not to do with a child than through personal experience? Maybe I'm being cruel. Oh, well.
Shank is going to be grey by the end of the night.