CHAPTER 72

I see him nod and we follow him into the office, I watch as while we're walking she pulls her shoulder length blonde hair back into a ponytail and kicks off her heels at the door as we hit the carpeted office. Mr. Delauter moves to his desk and Loretta motions me to a seat across from him before joining us and standing in front of his desk.

"Mark we've been together for over seven years now, when we talked about getting married we discussed that the children would always be protected and cared for no matter what. I've been a good mother to your girls and Mark Jr. this whole time and we've never had any reason for us to fight or even raise our voices in anger. We've been able to talk about everything that happens and work through it wouldn't you agree," Loretta says with a calm and understanding tone.

"Yes honey we have," Mark senior says calmly from his seat.

I can almost see the blood moving in my mother's veins as she goes from ice to demon mom in less than a second. I thought my rage was deep or even my dad's but Loretta has us beat as now I'm feeling a little scared.

"So then my husband who I love with all my heart after all we've been through together," Loretta says calmly before the volume goes up to dragon's roar," Explain to me how you forgot MY son in an archives room for NINE FUCKING HOURS while you sat around working!? I am shocked by the level of audacity that you have been taking with him and you will fucking answer to me NOW!"

"Loretta honey calm down and try to be…," Mark Senior says before she cuts him off.

"I will NOT calm the fuck down and if you say one FUCKING thing about my language I swear I'll see you in a therapy office by the week's end to explain this BULLSHIT to a marriage counselor," Loretta yells at her husband.

"It was a mistake, I simply said to Maude to take…," Mark senior freezes as he remembers the words," the young man and find him something to do."

"So you have one of your secretaries take MY son to the FUCKING basement to rearrange a room you said would take a small army to get right and just for-FUCKING-got about him! You're day was so busy and important that you FORGOT about MY son in the FUCKING basement," She says quieting down but losing none of her intensity.

"Honey it was an honest mistake on my part and I am sorry that it happened….," Mark starts again before she cuts him off.

"An honest mistake is forgetting a dinner with the family. An honest mistake is not making it to your daughter's recital because of work. It is not an honest mistake when you FUCKING leave your step-son in the FUCKING basement to work like a slave so you can teach him a FUCKING lesson," Loretta snaps causing Mark Senior to fold again.

"Mom stop," I say as she turns her attention to me and her rage stifles itself," Mom please go see what Kori is doing. She worries about me a lot and I need you to tell her I'm feeling a little better."

I see her nod and undo her hair from the ponytail as she picks up her shoes before exiting the office. Mark senior is attempting to regain his composure and I let him do so for the first time since I arrived back at the house. I watch as he rests his face in his hands for a minute or two before leaning back in his chair and addressing me.

"I have never seen that side of her," he tells me, undoing his tie.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure nobody has," I say still feeling my rage but I'm letting it cool as for the first time today.

"I'm sorry Guy; I had all intentions of having you work on something more important to me than fixing a room that we haven't used in months. I am really at a loss for how badly I screwed this up today," Mr. Delauter tells me with more humility than I think a lawyer should show.

"So you did have a plan for me today, not just some ridiculous bitch work that I completed in nine hours," I ask, a little stunned.

"Yes I did have a plan for you…. wait you picked up the whole room," He asks now stunned himself.

"I was told to work and that's what I did," I explained calmly," I just sat down when I got done and checked my clock, I didn't realize the whole day went by."

"I had worked through lunch as well but that's no excuse for what happened," Mr. Delauter says leaning back in his chair," And now I still need your help but there is no way that I'm going to get you back to my office."

"What is so damn important that you need me at your office," I ask a little frustrated," Honestly I'm more out of place there than at a hippie commune."

"It's complicated but I need you to see it sooner than later but I'm just going to have to spur myself into an executive decision concerning the matter," Mr. Delauter tells me trying to relax.

"Okay but why me? That's the one thing I can't seem to figure out, why you need my help," I ask, still frustrated and a little confused.

"To use a term you're kind of like an Occam's Razor, you cut through things and you notice things that normally get missed by others because they've been there," Mr. Delauter explains," that is what I needed."

"Okay I'll go back," I say getting up and starting to leave the office.

"You're mother won't allow it," He says as I exit.

I get up the stairs and my crew sees me coming and is double checking me to see my mood. I'm not sure what is in store but after today I figure any bullshit and I'll just turn Mom loose on whomever causes it and that will be the end of them. I get to my room and see Loretta stand as I enter; I smile and walk over and hug her big.

"Mom," I say quietly and I can feel her soften.

"My boy, I'm sorry this happened. Please don't leave," Loretta says quietly, hugging me.

"I have to, mom," I say as she pulls back to look at my face," I am going back to the office tomorrow."

And the collective breath has left the room; it only takes a few seconds before Loretta finds her words again.

"No no no no and fucking NO," I hear her growl," I love my husband but this it too much."

"I'm choosing to go," I say as she loses all her rage," He keeps saying that he needs me for something and if it happens again I won't leave but I will call you so you can take his ass to the cleaners again in front of his entire office."

"Yeah Ma'am, we could hear you up here," Katy says smiling," It was awesome."

"I thought his office was sound proof," Loretta says shocked.