Angel

13 - Jeremy

Noreen was the best kind of distraction in the worst possible way.

She was the best distraction because of course she was. How could she not be? She was gorgeous. Soft lips, intense eyes, a body that was doing its part to reduce the shortage of perfect breasts in this world... not to mention kind and passionate and understanding. Not just about the mass amounts of baggage I had from Ethan's mom abandoning him, but about Ethan in general.

It made sense, obviously. She dealt with people like me for a living. But I wasn't used to someone who didn't take my inability to give her my full attention personally. I wasn't used to someone focusing her attention in the same direction as me, making sure my son was cared for. After waking up and realizing I'd slept for far longer than I intended to, since I hadn't intended to sleep at all, she wasn't upset when I practically kicked her out of my apartment so I could get back to the hospital.

Instead, she made me a fucking sandwich.

She didn't sigh passive-aggressively when I declined having her come to the hospital with me.

Instead, she kissed me goodbye, bologna breath and all, and left me craving the feel of her body against mine.

And that's why I turned down her offer to come to the hospital. Because she was the worst way I could be distracted. Because I got into my truck, drove back to the hospital, and was in the waiting room for approximately twelve seconds before my mom started her interrogation.

"You look different," she said.

"Uh, okay," I replied, sitting next to my dad. "I trimmed my beard after I showered."

"Must have been quite the shower. You were gone for quite a while."

I tried to sound nonchalant, which was where I fucked up. If I hadn't just fucked Noreen, her implication would have annoyed me.

Instead, I tried to act like nothing had happened.

"Yeah. I fell asleep."

"In the shower?" Dad asked.

"No, in bed."

"Just like that?" Mom said.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "I was tired."

"How long did you sleep?" she pressed.

"Jesus, Mom. An hour and a half." I looked at Dad and half-laughed. "Does she interrogate you like this for having a goddamn nap?"

Dad pressed his lips together and tilted his head from side to side. "I mean, an hour and a half for a nap, plus a shower and a beard trim... still doesn't quite add up, Jere."

"Well, I made some food."

"Oh, well," Mom said. "A whole turkey dinner or—"

"A bologna sandwich," I said, unimpressed. "I was not gone that long."

Dad smirked. "Didn't that pretty girl drive you home? Kennedy?"

"Her name is Noreen," I said. "With everything she's doing for Ethan, could you at least be respectful enough to learn her fucking name?"

"Don't swear at your father," Mom said, then glared at him. "Even if he is a shit-for-brains idiot sometimes."

"What?" Dad protested. "You're the one who said you thought he was finally getting laid."

"Yeah, but at least I knew her name was Noreen, not Kennedy."

"Would you two just drop it?" I asked. "Nothing happened. She drove me home."