was ready to welcome his gifts? "Was your mom very angry?"
"Baby, you have no idea."
Now I smiled at the 'baby,' which I took as a term of affection. "Did she tell your stepdad?"
"Of course."
"What'd he say?"
"Enough that I moved out."
My jaw hit my chest. "Moved or got kicked out?"
"Take your pick."
"Are you shitting me?"
"Nope."
"But you're only eighteen!"
"Which is legal for everything except buying booze."
"Oh my God. Where will you go? What will you do?"
"Marty's mom said I could stay with them for a while. He's got twin beds. I'll pay for my own food and stuff, of course. I mean, I get monthly checks from some kind of account Mom set up from Dad's life insurance pay-off. And I've got a job at Chick-Fil-A. They called me today. I'll be working on Saturdays for now, but maybe more later. I'm thinking I'll get a box at the post office for my mail."
I began to fume in spite of Cooper's apparent calm. How could loving parents send a high school senior packing? Wasn't he entitled to make his own choices? Sure they paid the bills, but that didn't mean they could treat him like dirt. "This is horrible. Just horrible. Do you have aunts and uncles, grandparents you can go to?"
"Betty and Sol Weeks, my maternal grandparents, are dead. My paternal grandparents won't have anything to do with us."
"Because of your mom?" It was easy to believe.
"Don't hate my mother, okay? She's just doing what she has to do to keep peace at home."
I begged to differ, but not out loud. "Sorry. Then why?"
"My parents got pregnant with me when they were seniors in high school. Dad's dad didn't want him to get married. Seems he had big plans for his only son to be a pro football player, something he'd dreamed of doing himself before he gave up and started coaching it at the high school level. When Dad told him he wasn't going to take the LSU football scholarship so he could get a fulltime job and marry Mom, my granddad threatened to cut him off. Didn't work. The 'rents got hitched anyway, left town, and graduated from junior colleges on their own."
What a story. "I didn't know. I mean, you sure never said anything."
"Yeah, well, my dysfunctional kin are not something I brag about."
"Have you ever thought about looking up that side of the family?" I knew I'd be curious if I were in his position.
"Yeah, but do I really want to associate with people who hate my mom because my dad chose her over a freakin' game?"
"Good point."
Cooper stopped the swing and stood. "I need to go. Just wanted you to know where I'd be."
"Marsh can't make you drop out of school or anything, can he?" At this point, I wouldn't put it past the jerk.
"I guess he could try, but I don't think he will. He really is an okay guy, if a little misguided. He's sure taken care of Mom and me. I think he just needs to be in control, which works as a principal, but isn't so great as far as stepdads and sometimes husbands go. Apparently he doesn't understand that everything can't run as smoothly as Martinsburg High. Life just isn't like that, especially mine."
Though I thought Marsh should be smart enough to know that, I didn't voice my opinion. Cooper had enough on his mind. "Love you."
He stopped halfway down the porch steps. "Yeah?"
"Of course yeah. Since I was eight. You didn't know?"
"Sometimes my sidekicks let me down when I need them most."
"I love you, TC Ray-slash-Cooper Marsh."
"And I love you, Bella Mia."
His sweet kiss sealed the deal before he got into his truck and vanished into the night.
* * * *
Thursday at breakfast, I filled in my parents and asked if Cooper could come to supper. They said he could and promised to be home for the meal. Though Tagliaro's had two excellent managers at the moment, that hadn't always been the case. In fact, I'd grown up with the smell of garlic clinging to my ponytail. These days they made it a point to pop in unexpectedly during the week, especially during busy times, to make sure everyone was doing what they were
"Baby, you have no idea."
Now I smiled at the 'baby,' which I took as a term of affection. "Did she tell your stepdad?"
"Of course."
"What'd he say?"
"Enough that I moved out."
My jaw hit my chest. "Moved or got kicked out?"
"Take your pick."
"Are you shitting me?"
"Nope."
"But you're only eighteen!"
"Which is legal for everything except buying booze."
"Oh my God. Where will you go? What will you do?"
"Marty's mom said I could stay with them for a while. He's got twin beds. I'll pay for my own food and stuff, of course. I mean, I get monthly checks from some kind of account Mom set up from Dad's life insurance pay-off. And I've got a job at Chick-Fil-A. They called me today. I'll be working on Saturdays for now, but maybe more later. I'm thinking I'll get a box at the post office for my mail."
I began to fume in spite of Cooper's apparent calm. How could loving parents send a high school senior packing? Wasn't he entitled to make his own choices? Sure they paid the bills, but that didn't mean they could treat him like dirt. "This is horrible. Just horrible. Do you have aunts and uncles, grandparents you can go to?"
"Betty and Sol Weeks, my maternal grandparents, are dead. My paternal grandparents won't have anything to do with us."
"Because of your mom?" It was easy to believe.
"Don't hate my mother, okay? She's just doing what she has to do to keep peace at home."
I begged to differ, but not out loud. "Sorry. Then why?"
"My parents got pregnant with me when they were seniors in high school. Dad's dad didn't want him to get married. Seems he had big plans for his only son to be a pro football player, something he'd dreamed of doing himself before he gave up and started coaching it at the high school level. When Dad told him he wasn't going to take the LSU football scholarship so he could get a fulltime job and marry Mom, my granddad threatened to cut him off. Didn't work. The 'rents got hitched anyway, left town, and graduated from junior colleges on their own."
What a story. "I didn't know. I mean, you sure never said anything."
"Yeah, well, my dysfunctional kin are not something I brag about."
"Have you ever thought about looking up that side of the family?" I knew I'd be curious if I were in his position.
"Yeah, but do I really want to associate with people who hate my mom because my dad chose her over a freakin' game?"
"Good point."
Cooper stopped the swing and stood. "I need to go. Just wanted you to know where I'd be."
"Marsh can't make you drop out of school or anything, can he?" At this point, I wouldn't put it past the jerk.
"I guess he could try, but I don't think he will. He really is an okay guy, if a little misguided. He's sure taken care of Mom and me. I think he just needs to be in control, which works as a principal, but isn't so great as far as stepdads and sometimes husbands go. Apparently he doesn't understand that everything can't run as smoothly as Martinsburg High. Life just isn't like that, especially mine."
Though I thought Marsh should be smart enough to know that, I didn't voice my opinion. Cooper had enough on his mind. "Love you."
He stopped halfway down the porch steps. "Yeah?"
"Of course yeah. Since I was eight. You didn't know?"
"Sometimes my sidekicks let me down when I need them most."
"I love you, TC Ray-slash-Cooper Marsh."
"And I love you, Bella Mia."
His sweet kiss sealed the deal before he got into his truck and vanished into the night.
* * * *
Thursday at breakfast, I filled in my parents and asked if Cooper could come to supper. They said he could and promised to be home for the meal. Though Tagliaro's had two excellent managers at the moment, that hadn't always been the case. In fact, I'd grown up with the smell of garlic clinging to my ponytail. These days they made it a point to pop in unexpectedly during the week, especially during busy times, to make sure everyone was doing what they were
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