Saturday, June 16th, 2018
After opening the panels of the antique toaster on the kitchen counter, Luke put a slice of sprouted-grain bread into each then closed them up.
How he loved that old toaster!
It was a serious fire hazard, but every time he used it, he thought of his dad, hoping the man was resting in peace. And he got to enjoy perfectly toasted bread. Every time.
“Mom, can I ask you something?”
She sat at the kitchen table, sipping on her orange juice, her hair still in rollers from the previous night. As she put her drink down, she nodded. “Sure, dear.”
Luke checked if his toast was ready then returned his attention to his mom. “Kate and I have been seeing each other for a while now. We’re coming up on an anniversary of sorts. I was thinking of doing something special for her. What do you think about me getting her a dog?”
“A dog?” Her fork cut into the soft yolk that rested on top of her bread, making the yellow liquid ooze out into the toast.
Luke peered into the antique appliance again. Not ready yet.
“Well, she’s already living here. I know she doesn’t want children. At least not until she gets over those nightmares. Wouldn’t a dog be a great stepping stone?”
“You realize I’d be the one taking care of it. Walking it. Training it. Cleaning up after it…”
Luke opened the panels and flipped his bread to expose the soft sides to the central element.
“Yeah… You’re probably right.” His mom was getting up there in years, and that was something that had begun to worry him a little. He definitely didn’t want to burden her with anything. “I don’t know what to get her.”
His mom’s fingers fidgeted with the silver cross that hung around her neck. “You know what would make me the happiest person on earth?”
“What?”
“Make an honest woman out of her!”
Luke moved toward the table. “Come on, Mom! Kate’s not religious. And I can’t blame her for losing whatever faith she may have had after her family got killed.” He reached for the cup of coffee he’d left on the table minutes earlier. “No, I can’t do that.” He poured in some sugar then stirred.
Mrs. O’Brien shook her head, looked up to the sky, then back down to Luke as she exhaled. “Well, if you don’t want to make it official under the eyes of God, then at least make it official at City Hall.”
“But don’t you think it’s a little too fast—”
“Luke Stewart O’Brien, you’ve known and loved this woman for over twenty-five years! Sure, she wasn’t in your life for a solid twenty of those years, but I know you never stopped loving her. She’s special. She gets you, and you get her. Don’t you dare—”
The smoke detector shrilled over the rest of her words as smoke escaped the toaster behind Luke.
“Shit!” he muttered, rushing to unplug the machine and flip the panels open.
Two blackened squares stared back at him. Well… Perfect toast 99.9% of the time.
Following the annoying sound, he stepped into the living room and waved a newspaper under the detector, hoping to make the damn thing shut up.
A long minute later, he was finally rewarded by silence. He walked back into the kitchen just as his mother was closing the window, the smoke now cleared.
Luke tossed his failed toast into the garbage, reloaded the toaster and plugged it back in.
“You know my birthday’s coming up,” she said to Luke as she returned to her seat to finish her breakfast.
“Yes, of course. But same as last year, I don’t know what to get you.”
“I half-expected as much, so I thought of something I’d like you to do for me. For my birthday.”
“What?” he said, heading toward the table.
“Better stay back there, son. That alarm was bad enough the first time.”
Luke shrugged but nonetheless obeyed. “What do you want?”
“The church is arranging a fundraiser to support the community. I’d like you to accompany me.”
“What?” Luke asked as he flipped his toast. When he returned his glance her way, she was finishing the last bite on her plate. “What kind of fundraiser? When?”
“Tomorrow evening. It’ll be from six to nine.”
“Why?”
“Luke, be a good Christian and accompany your mom. It’s for the good of the community. I’ll be selling my baked goods.”
“It will be packed with people,” Luke said, his face shriveling.
“We certainly hope so!”
After checking that the bread was toasted enough—although not perfectly—he unplugged the device, loaded his slices onto a plate, then joined his mom at the table.
Her wide eyes were hopeful, her smile genuine. “You could ask Kate to join us, if you want.”
Luke’s eyes inadvertently widened. “I’m pretty sure she’s not going to be interested in that.”
His mom’s brows descended as she frowned. She got up from her chair and carried her dirty dishes to the sink.
Luke began spreading peanut butter on his toast while considering her request. His extreme introverted nature wouldn’t enjoy it at all, but he couldn’t disappoint his mom. That would just be selfish of him. “Okay, Mom. I’ll go with you.”
She walked back to the table to squeeze his hand, a large smile on her increasingly wrinkled face as he himself forced a grin to last long enough to please her.
Suck it up, Luke. She’s the only mother you have. If spending a ridiculous number of hours surrounded by way too many people is going to make her happy, then so be it.