Defining Moments
Defining Moments
Copyright © 2015 by Andee Michelle
Publisher: AM Books, LLC
First Print Edition: January 2016
Editor: Virginia Cantrell, Hot Tree Editing
Cover Design & Interior Formatting:
Pink Ink Designs
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, individuals, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my Mom, Gayle, and my sister, Donna; two of the strongest women I’ve ever known. Thank you both for giving me strong, independent women as role models. I love you both to the moon and back.
And to mothers of daughters everywhere: please teach your girls strength and independence. Teaching them to rely on someone else to take care of them, or to define their happiness, is a disservice to them. Teach them to be strong, independent and badass!
Defining Moments
Have you ever had moments in your life where something big happens,
whether good or bad, and it makes you stop and reflect on your life?
Moments where you see your life with clarity,
for what feels like the first time,
and you vow to make changes;
to fix or let go of relationships; to make apologies;
to forgive someone for no other reason than your own peace;
to let go of things you cannot fix or change;
to focus on fixing yourself;
and/or to let go of the pain you’ve held on to for way too long.
Those moments, the ones where you make those vows to yourself,
are defining moments of your life.
Never ignore them, because only you can change the path your life is on.
“MOM,” MY YOUNGEST SON
screams from upstairs.
Don’t answer him. He knows I hate that. Don’t answer him.
“MOOOOOOOMMMM!” he screams again. I grit my teeth as I leave the bacon frying and head toward the bottom of the stairs.
“Destry Joseph! For the eight-billionth time, do not scream at me from upstairs. If you need me for something, come down here and talk to me about it,” I holler.
I turn and walk back toward the kitchen to finish making their breakfast. As usual, the twins are bickering as they come down the stairs. It sounds like a herd of damn elephants.
“Bullshit, dude. She wouldn’t go out with you if you paid her,” I hear Ben say to Eli as they push into the kitchen.
“Whatever, asshat, you’re just jealous cause I’m gonna tap that,” Eli replies as they take their seats at the breakfast bar. Neither of them even acknowledges I’m standing here as they start to load their plates with pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
“Elijah! Are you really having this discussion in front of me? Seriously! You’re supposed to treat women with respect, and sex isn’t supposed to be something you hand out like candy. It’s supposed to be between people who love each other. Jesus, how many times do we have to have this conversation?” I reprimand him.
He shrugs before replying, “Be serious, Mom. I’m twenty years old. I lost my virginity four years ago, you know this. You’re so old fashioned. Nobody waits until they’re in love to have sex. Nobody.”
“I don’t know why I even try,” I mumble under my breath, turning to make my own plate. I see movement in the entryway to the kitchen, and when I look up, it’s Destry, standing stark-naked, with a huge smirk on his face.
“Damn it, Destry!” I yell and turn away quickly. “What in the hell would possess you to come downstairs naked? Get your ass upstairs and put some clothes on.”
He laughs. “Well, I was trying to get you to bring me up my laundry basket, but you said to come down here if I need something. I need my laundry basket.”
“Well, I guess maybe next time you’ll put your damn clothes away when I tell you to. Now go get the basket. Then go back upstairs and put some clothes on!” I yell at him, hearing the twins laughing hysterically behind me.
“Good one, bro,” Eli laughs out.
I take a deep breath, count to ten, and calmly ask, “Did he go back upstairs?”
“Yeah, Ma, he did,” Ben responds.
I turn and watch as the twins gather their things and start heading out of the kitchen.
“Are you boys gonna be home for dinner tonight? I just want to know if I need to make something or not,” I ask them as they reach the front door.
“I’m out tonight. Date.” Eli wiggles his eyebrows and winks at me. I roll my eyes before replying, “Please behave yourself and treat that young lady the way you’d want someone to treat your future daughters.” He smiles, nods, and ducks out the door before I can lecture him any further.
“I’ve got study group on campus tonight, Ma. Don’t wait up for me. I’ve got a big test this week in Chem. I may just stay in the dorms with Caleb tonight depending on how late we are up studying,” Ben says sweetly, stopping just briefly to kiss my cheek, and then he’s gone too.
I shut the door behind them and head back into the kitchen to chew Destry’s ass, but he’s shoving a pancake in his mouth with one hand, while simultaneously trying to pull his helmet out of its bag with the other. I could kill his father for buying him that damn motorcycle. He’s only seventeen for Christ’s sake!
“Dez, please be careful on that thing, baby,” I start to lecture, but he holds his hand up to run interference, leans down, kisses my cheek, and runs toward the door.
“Running late, Ma. Thanks for breakfast,” he yells as the door slams shut.
I take in the scene in front of me. I made sixteen pancakes, an entire package of bacon, and a dozen scrambled eggs with cheese. The only thing left is the one pancake I managed to get on my plate in the craziness that was happening. They didn’t even put their plates and cups in the sink.
I shake my head and walk toward the coffee pot to get a cup to have with my now cold breakfast.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I grumble when I realize, not only did the boys eat everything, they drank all my coffee. How did they do that? Between the three of them, they were literally in the kitchen for like five minutes total. I reach for the carafe to make another pot. While that’s brewing, I stick my pathetic breakfast in the microwave to warm it up.
Sitting down at the breakfast bar a few minutes later, I pull out the notepad I keep there to see what I need to get done today. Destry graduates from high school in just a couple of months and I have so much to do to prepare for that. Unlike the twins, Destry has decided to go away for college. He got a couple of football scholarship offers, none of which were local. So, he accepted the offer from Boise State University and will be living in the dorms on campus. Having the twins still living at home while they attend the local university has been much easier than having all my boys out of the house within a year of each other.
I add a few things to the list and put it to the side so I can clean up the kitchen. When my hands hit the warm water in the sink, my mind flashes back to a morning like this just six months ago. A morning that changed our entire lives forever.
With my back to the kitchen, I scrubbed at the skillet in the hot soapy water, trying hard not to let the tears fall. The boys and Justin all left about an hour ago, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with Justin. Something is terribly wrong. He’s been so distant lately, and this morning, he wouldn’t even look at me. Something big is coming, I can feel it.
Just as I rinse the pan, I hear the front door open and close. One of the boys must have forgotten something. I turn to see what they need, but its Justin who walks into the kitchen, a forlorn look on his face.
“Hi, baby. What are you doing back, did you forget something?” I ask sweetly, walking toward him.
