The Ties That Bind

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

     The bakery was bustling with a constant stream of people pouring through the doors from the time they opened them. It was typical for Saturday mornings; Carol was in the back creating the breads and confections that were so popular with the students from the university while Kasden and Stacey, another part-timer, were kept busy taking care of the constant stream of customers.

     The last customer in the line had finally been served, and all the tables in the front were filled with chattering people enjoying their morning purchases when the bell above the door announced yet another customer. Both part-timers looked up and Kasden immediately asked Stacey if she would take care of the customer and turned to head back into the kitchen.

     "Kasden, wait." Aletha called before he could disappear into the back. "I wanted to speak with you if I may."

     She turned and seated herself at a table that had just emptied. It needed to be wiped down, but Kasden wasn't going to worry about that right now; he nervously walked over to stand beside the table - he didn't take a seat.

     "Please, sit down for a minute." She encouraged the boy, who reluctantly took the seat across from her. 

     A few curious customers looked over at the pair before going back to their own conversations.

     "So," she began. "How did you and my sons meet? It was unexpected seeing you at my home the other evening." 

     The question was like a knife thrust to his gut - 'her sons'; wasn't he her son too? Wasn't she the one who'd given birth to him? He could already tell that this conversation was not going to go well.

     "Larsen and I share some classes." He answered. "He needed help with his math assignments and Len asked me if I would help him out by tutoring him." He made no effort to elaborate any further.

     "Ah, that's right. Len did say that you were the one responsible for Lars passing his exam and getting to stay on the team." She recalled, thinking back to the evening the boys had their friends over to celebrate. 

     "The thing is, Kasden, I seem to recall asking you to keep your distance from me. When I said that, it was intended to include my family as well. It's nothing personal, you understand, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn't come to the house again."

     "Don't worry," the boy spoke up. "I have no intention of going over again. If Len or Lars invites me, I'll make up an excuse to decline. As for 'staying away from you', how was I to know that they were your stepsons? I didn't even know your name, first or last; I only knew you as 'mom'. How could I avoid your family when I didn't even know they were your family, that you were their stepmother? If I had known that you were there, I never would have gone."

     "Well, that's the other thing I wanted to talk about." Aletha seized the opportunity at the mention of the boys. "I would like you to stopped hanging out with my boys. It will be better if you're not involved with them at all; as a courtesy to me. That's all I wanted to discuss with you; since we are agreed, I'll be leaving now then, I've said what I came for."

     "No." Kasden spoke up as his mother was about to leave the table.

     "I won't go by your house; that would be way too uncomfortable for me. Not because you asked; what you want is irrelevant. I'm not going to stop hanging out with my friends; Lennox and Larsen are my friends, whether you like it or not. If they want to end the friendship, that's up to them, and if they do, they can tell me themselves, but I'm not going to stop being friends with them just because you want me to. I think you should go now."