The complicated love story

Lance

"Don’t walk away from me,″ she yells, and the sound is deafening.

"I don’t want to know, hence why I am walking away,″ I explain, even though I am being a jerk right now. I watch my mother as she sighs but follows me into my room. We were just having dinner. It was supposed to be a peaceful evening, but she had to mention marriage.

What the fuck is she thinking?

As usual, I try to slam my door, but she beats me to it. This is not the first time we have had a screaming fest. It is normal for us. Just let me disagree with something she thinks is right or if she disagrees with me. We make so much noise that the neighbours have to make a complaint.

″Oh, you don’t get to walk away from this conversation. Why can’t you ever act like a normal person?″ She is trying to hurt me. Everyone, this is my mother, the woman who birthed me. My supposed ride or die.

"What if I am done with the conversation?″ I raise my brow, teasing her. She sighs loudly, obviously frustrated, but I live for these moments. Moments where I can get under her skin. She doesn’t get to tell me that she is getting married, and she expects me to just welcome the man I have never met in my life. That’s not how this works.

"He wants to meet you before the wedding."

Ha.

Wedding?

Whenever I have an issue with Mama Dear, she ends up taking the conversation to four stages. The first is anger.

Hence the whole scream fest.

"I don’t want to meet him.″ I am still holding the door, and she is doing the same. I groan, let go of the door, and walk over to my bed. The mattress dips down with the pressure of my weight.

"Please, Lanny,″ she calls me by the nickname I somehow gave myself when I was a kid. Growing up, I couldn’t pronounce my name, so I always said Lanny, and somehow she picked it up, and that’s what she calls me when she is trying to get me to behave. You have to understand that I am the worst. I intentionally live for troubled moments.

Pleading.

The second stage. That’s why her voice is suddenly calmer now, and she is trying to reason with me. I can smell the desperation in her voice.

I don’t like to do what I am told.

I always get what I want because I feel this life is too short and I won’t live it for anyone else. No matter the situation, if it doesn’t sit right with me, I won’t force myself to do it.

It’s just me.

Selfish, I know.

"I don’t want to; this is between you and him. Why am I suddenly involved in your relationship? This is a man I have never met, and now you suddenly want me to meet him after you agreed to marry the guy. No thanks, Mama.”

She sighs and closes the door. She sits down at the edge of the bed, and I know what is next. We are in the third stage.

Bargaining.

"I promise, just this once. You don’t have to spend more than an hour. It can be a quick lunch.” I look at her with disbelief. She is marrying the guy. Of course, I will have to spend more than an hour with him. I will have to live with the sucker.

This is an unfair request.

"You’re being selfish. I am not interested in your husband. You chose him. Why do I have to kiss his ass too?”

She shakes her head. 'No, you won’t. He wants to meet you. Oh, he has a son; he’s your age. You guys can be friends.”

I scoff because if this is the best she can do, then she is not going to win this round. ″Oh, telling me he has a son will make me more interested?″ I ask her because I genuinely want to know how her mind works.

She sighs, and for the first time, I notice that her hair is a darker shade. The white strands that I knew were there are gone now. “Did you dye your hair?” I ask in disbelief. She touches the strands and smiles. “Yes, I did. John says it makes me look like Jasmine from Aladin.” She has a dreamy look on her face.

I made a fake gag from just the thought of her and her John.

“Ewww woman”

″Come on, Lanny, okay. I will give you a raise on your allowance.”

My eyes shoot up at her. The interest is suddenly there, and guys, we are at the end of the stages, and this is the most successful one.

Bribery.

“How much?”

She smiles.

“50 bucks”

I shake my head because I know she can do better. Remember when I said I only do things I want to? Well, I want a raise. I want to buy a new game, and it is freaking expensive. This is my way in. I can get the raise and meet ‘John.’.

I have nothing to lose.

“I think 50 isn’t worth meeting this man. You gotta do better than that woman.”

Glaring with a frown, she sighs, “Your mission is to rob me. What kind of son bribes his mother?” She says it like it is the most unbelievable thing in the world.

I roll my eyes. “Hey, you’re the one bribing here. I am just accepting the bribe.”

She stands up from the bed and walks over to the door. “80 bucks and that’s my final offer. His driver will come to pick you up tomorrow. Please be on your best behaviour, as I won’t be around to make sure.” I watch her as she leaves the room with a feeling of accomplishment.

I.Always.Win.Lance

"Don’t walk away from me,″ she yells, and the sound is deafening.

"I don’t want to know, hence why I am walking away,″ I explain, even though I am being a jerk right now. I watch my mother as she sighs but follows me into my room. We were having dinner. It was supposed to be a peaceful evening, but she had to mention marriage.

What the fuck is she thinking?

As usual, I try to slam my door, but she beats me to it. This is not the first time we have had a screaming fest. It is normal for us. Just let me disagree with something she thinks is right or if she disagrees with me. We make so much noise that the neighbours have to make a complaint.

″Oh, you don’t get to walk away from this conversation. Why can’t you ever act like a normal person?″ She is trying to hurt me. Everyone, this is my mother, the woman who birthed me. My supposed ride or die.

"What if I am done with the conversation?″ I raise my brow, teasing her. She sighs loudly, obviously frustrated, but I live for these moments. Moments where I can get under her skin. She doesn’t get to tell me that she is getting married, and she expects me to just welcome the man I have never met in my life. That’s not how this works.

"He wants to meet you before the wedding.″

Ha.

Wedding?

Whenever I have an issue with Mama Dear, she ends up taking the conversation to four stages. The first is anger.

Hence the whole scream fest.

"I don’t want to meet him.″ I am still holding the door, and she is doing the same. I groan, let go of the door, and walk over to my bed. The mattress dips down with the pressure of my weight.

"Please, Lanny,″ she calls me by the nickname I somehow gave myself when I was a kid. Growing up, I couldn’t pronounce my name, so I always said Lanny, and somehow she picked it up, and that’s what she calls me when she is trying to get me to behave. You have to understand that I am the worst. I intentionally live for troubled moments.

Pleading.

The second stage. That’s why her voice is suddenly calmer now, and she is trying to reason with me. I can smell the desperation in her voice.

I don’t like to do what I am told.

I always get what I want because I feel this life is too short and I won’t live it for anyone else. No matter the situation, if it doesn’t sit right with me, I won’t force myself to do it.

It’s just me.

Selfish, I know.

"I don’t want to; this is between you and him. Why am I suddenly involved in your relationship? This is a man I have never met, and now you suddenly want me to meet him after you agreed to marry the guy. No thanks, Mama.”

She sighs and closes the door. She sits down at the edge of the bed, and I know what is next. We are in the third stage.

Bargaining.

"I promise, just this once. You don’t have to spend more than an hour. It can be a quick lunch.” I look at her with disbelief. She is marrying the guy. Of course, I will have to spend more than an hour with him. I will have to live with the sucker.

This is an unfair request.

"You’re being selfish. I am not interested in your husband. You chose him. Why do I have to kiss his ass too?”

She shakes her head. "No, you won’t. He wants to meet you. Oh, he has a son; he’s your age. You guys can be friends.”

I scoff because if this is the best she can do, then she is not going to win this round. ″Oh, telling me he has a son will make me more interested?″ I ask her because I genuinely want to know how her mind works.

She sighs, and for the first time, I notice that her hair is a darker shade. The white strands that I knew were there are gone now. “Did you dye your hair?” I ask in disbelief. She touches the strands and smiles. “Yes, I did. John says it makes me look like Jasmine from Aladin.” She has a dreamy look on her face.

I made a fake gag from just the thought of her and her John.

“Ewww woman”

"Come on, Lanny, okay. I will give you a raise on your allowance.”

My eyes shoot up at her. The interest is suddenly there, and guys, we are at the end of the stages, and this is the most successful one.

Bribery.

“How much?”

She smiles.

“50 bucks”

I shake my head because I know she can do better. Remember when I said I only do things I want to? Well, I want a raise. I want to buy a new game, and it is freaking expensive. This is my way in. I can get the raise and meet ‘John.’.

I have nothing to lose.

“I think 50 isn’t worth meeting this man. You gotta do better than that woman.”

Glaring with a frown, she sighs, “Your mission is to rob me. What kind of son bribes his mother?” She says it like it is the most unbelievable thing in the world.

I roll my eyes. “Hey, you’re the one bribing here. I am just accepting the bribe.”

She stands up from the bed and walks over to the door. “80 bucks, and that’s my final offer. His driver will come to pick you up tomorrow. Please be on your best behaviour, as I won’t be around to make sure.” I watch her as she leaves the room with a feeling of accomplishment.

I.Always.Win.