"Jack you are home" Nora exclaimed rushing over to embrace him warmly.
Jack hugged her back, holding her tightly and longer. "Yeah I'm back mom, how are you?" he asked gently touching her rosy checks .
Nora held his hands to her checks and said" I am fine son."
"You say you are fine, but your eyes are so sad and you ain't even smiling."
"Don't mind my eyes son, see I'm smiling now" she said making a pitiful attempt at smiling but it didn't even reach her eyes.
"Don't worry mom everything would be fine i'm here with you and I will never leave you" he promised fiercely.
"Thank you son you are the best thing that has ever happened to me ,come and have your food dear. "
"Okay I will just change and freshen up, wait have you eaten? "
Nora considered lying so he wouldn't have to worry about her , she hated it when he worried but she knew he would see pass her facade easily . " Son I'm not hungry , don't have the appetite just go ahead and eat for the both of us. "
"Mom you can't be living like this anymore look at you whining and dieing away for a man that doesn't even care about your existence, our existence".
"Jack stop it, I won't have you spit those blasphemous words he is still your father no matter what you think of him, and you will have to respect him as long as you are in this roof."
"Mom I ca- "
"I said enough!! You are incredibly young and won't understand. "
"Then make me understand, help understand how I am supposed to respect a man that physically and emotionally hurts my mom on a daily basis, tell me mom? "
"Oh jack I'm so sorry, she muttered crying a little you are never supposed to see all that shit. omg I thought you never noticed. "
"I noticed mom!! And I have seen a lot that I can't unsee now, please can we both eat without you bringing up his name. "
Nora turned away from his son, hugging her arms tightly she bit her lower lips she was afraid of what she had seen in his eyes, the same blazing eyes in his father's eyes. Christ she didn't want her son growing up with so much hate, and agony she had wanted a peaceful, loving environment for him . Where had she gone wrong? Fresh batch of tears spilled from her eyes but she quickly wiped them off.
"Jack, son please don't hate your father, he - he wasn't always like this please for my sake" she cried.
Jack 's anger deflated like a ballon on seeing his mom's red eyes and shaky hands, he went into her arms giving comfort to her as well as taking." Mom please stop crying he muffled, your tears are killing me."
"I'm sorry son, Christ i am such a mess."
"No you ain't, you are just have a hell of a time at the moment".
She sniffed smiling a little "Thank you son your girlfriend would be so lucky, I trained you right" she said brushing off his wavy locks.
Jack smiled in his heart at the image of ayra materialised in his head. Well the girl I like doesn't even want to date me, he thought sourly remembering the conversation he had with ayra. Gosh she was the first girl to ever refuse his advances, normally girls were the ones throwing themselves at him and chasing him but ayra was giving him a hard time. He was trying to swim in new waters but ayra wasn't making things easy, not that he would give up anyways.
"Jack, you spaced out" Nora said worriedly gently tapping his checks.
Just one thought of her and he forgot every other thing , fuck ayra had him on a choke hold.
"Sorry mom someone lives rent free on my mind ,what were you saying?
"Don't get mad at me, but I'm really worried about him, he hasn't returned since last night. "
"What, who? Do you mean dad? "
She nodded slowly, afraid to say his name and rail Jack up again.
"Mom why do you care so much about him? "
"He is my husband, son I can't stop caring even if I want to."
"You can if you really want, you just haven't tried enough. Anyways I'm sure he is fine, probably off at some motel sulking he will come back, he always comes back mom."
"But he never takes this long, what if he never returns?" She asked with panicked eyes.
'I will organize a party if he never returns and thank the Almighty, we are better off without him he said silently in his heart knowing his mom would scold him, if he said it out loud.
"I am sure he would return mom, but if he doesn't come back tonight and the next morning, I will call uncle Tommy to help me find him."
"Thank you son" she enthused kissing his forehead.
"I don't understand you mom, I'm trying to but you are making it difficult. Do you enjoy being hurt? "
"I don't son soon I will explain everything to you but for now let's eat and you can tell me about your girlfriend, I have missed a lot of gist in your life."
Jack stood up gingerly, this was his mom always acting like everything was okay and asking him about school but deep inside she was hurting, maybe this was her way of surviving ,her defense mechanism and he won't ruin it for her at least for today that the villain was absent.
"Mom I don't have a girlfriend" he replied teasingly.
"Uh no I don't believe you, with this cute face of yours unless the girls in your class are blind."
"Just one girl in particular" he muttered under his breath, but his mom heard him.
"Yes I knew it, you liked someone tell me who is she? "
"Mom let's eat" he groaned.
"Okay son" she replied smiling a toothy grin for the first time that night.
For the first time, his mom's eyes were excited thanks to ayra he thought smiling like he won a prize. "Mom her name is Ayra."
"Awwww so ayra is the reason my son spaced out."
Jack's ears turned red "Mom are we gonna eat or not?"
"Yeah son we will eat but just tell me what's h- "
"Mom no hold on" he interrupted happy that the tension has been lifted ," I will tell you about her some other time but for now let's eat" he said in a manner that was irrefutable.
"Alright son, your wish is my command" she said winking at him in a knowing way.
"I sure hope dear ayra knows the volcano that is coming her way" Nora said taking a spoonful of couscous.
"Nah mom she doesn't have an idea" he replied with a smirk.