Moms Second Visit

The dinner shift at Lombardi's was hectic, but it was exactly where I wanted to be, back in the familiar chaos of the kitchen. Every time I left for the dreariness of the office, I felt a piece of me stayed behind among the sizzle and clatter of the pans. Tonight, though, was tinged with the weight of upcoming responsibilities: managing a governor, overseeing a company, and soon, being introduced as Mr. Azure's adopted son.

Suddenly, Travis barged into the kitchen, disrupting my focus. "Alex! Get your ass out here!" he yelled, urgency in his voice.

I followed him reluctantly, and immediately regretted it when I saw who was waiting outside. "Come here son," my mother called out, catching sight of me trying to slip back into the safety of the kitchen.

"I'm not your son," I replied coldly.

"I gave birth to you, the least you can do is have a conversation after serving me those papers," she hissed back at me.

"I never got that courtesy," I shot back, the old bitterness surfacing.

"Take her up to a dining room, Alex. She won't leave and it's causing a commotion," Travis sighed, resigned. "It won't hurt to just hear her out. I don't want any trouble here."

Reluctantly, I agreed, aware of the customers starting to take notice of the scene. I led her upstairs to a private dining room, hoping to contain whatever this was about to turn into.

"You look more like me every passing day," she commented as soon as we were alone—a weird thing to say considering how little she thought of me just a few weeks ago.

"What did you come to talk to me about?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"I saw you've been doing big things," she said, her voice dripping with insincerity. "You're quite evil, you know that?"

"What do you mean, evil?" I asked, wary of her tone.

"You're still putting on an act? I'll be more forward then. Do you really expect your pick to last as a governor?" she smirked, her intentions becoming clearer. Was she here to threaten my political maneuvers?

"Can you afford it then?" I challenged her.

"Did you really hate this family that much?" she probed further.

"As much as you did. Now that everyone's out of my way I could flourish. You should get better control of Emily by the way. So shameful, isn't it? Your only child left free is a known drug dealer," I taunted, not missing the chance to twist the knife.

"You're still my child," she tried to assert.

"You disowned me and I was adopted by someone else. I'm not your kid anymore," I corrected her firmly.

"You really hate your siblings don't you?" she observed, changing tack.

"Yeah. I hate seeing them act like they're so smart when all they do is mess up. They can't even accept that they can be in the wrong," I scoffed, my frustration clear. "Being stomped on isn't something I'm doing anymore."

"I'm all for getting rid of Emily," she said suddenly, revealing her hand. It seemed she was here to strategize, perhaps seeing an opportunity in aligning with me against Emily.

"Do what you want."

"Was all this part of your plan? This doesn't feel like brainstorming," she noted, eyeing me cautiously.

"I'm very two-faced, not that anyone really cared," I sighed, tired of the pretense. "I'm also pretty sure I already told you my answers about collaborating with people I can't trust."

The tension in the private dining room was palpable as my mother and I faced off, her attempts at reconciliation clashing with my firm disdain. She leaned forward, her voice a hiss of desperation mixed with accusation. "And you trust that Azure family?"

"More than you," I replied with a casual yawn, underscoring my indifference.

"They aren't your family."

"At least with them, if I do something wrong, I can at least get proper legal representation for myself instead of getting complete radio silence," I retorted, my voice rising slightly with the bitter memory.

"Why can't you just get over that? It happened five years ago," she dismissed, rolling her eyes as if my grievances were mere inconveniences.

"I'd get over it easier if you didn't have a hand in ruining Jasper's family," I countered sharply. "Or if you told Emily to leave me alone or forcefully got her under control. There was also that chance you had to save me when I was kidnapped by Mr. Reynolds and you said you didn't care what happens to me. Didn't you call me emotional as well? Why would you want to tolerate such an emotional person now?"

"Well—" she started, but I cut her off.

"Let's point out everything from before I got framed as well, shall we? You let both my siblings bully me to the point I couldn't have a normal life, you never comforted me, you always seemed to find shitty situations to leave me in without warning. You even forced the maids not to parent me because you didn't want to." My voice was thick with accusation, each word a hammer driving the nails of past grievances deeper into the wall between us.

"And look where that got you!" she shot back, a twisted sense of pride in her tone.

"You think it's because of you? If I throw a rock there'll be several more people with your qualifications, probably even higher now," I scoffed, dismissing her influence completely.

"Is that why you haven't come for me yet?" she challenged, her voice a mix of defiance and curiosity.

"You think you're that important? I let you live because you left me alone, my good graces are starting to run out," I said coolly, the threat implicit in my tone. "Well, whatever, is that all?"

She sighed and pulled a small box from her purse, sliding it across the table towards me. "Happy birthday, Alex."

I stared at the box, momentarily caught off guard. Was it my birthday? That's strange! "Um, I don't think—"

"It's tomorrow, but I assumed you'll be busy with a party. Your father used to forget all the time as well," she chuckled awkwardly, attempting to inject some warmth into the cold air between us.

What the fuck?

"What's with the face? Usually people are happy when receiving gifts," she remarked, watching my reaction closely.

"This is the first time anyone in the Todd family has acknowledged my birthday," I pointed out, my voice laced with bitterness. "I'm not taking any bribes from you at all."

"This is really just a gift—"

"Mom, we just aren't compatible as family members and that's okay. We can both move on with no hard feelings, let's not drag it out. I don't have time for Todd family antics anymore and I'm quite sick of them." I pushed the box back towards her, my gesture dismissive.

"I'm trying to make things better!" she glared, her frustration evident.

"With such a tiny box? I don't care about it or your sad attempt at apologies anymore," I retorted, my patience wearing thin. "We both know you just feel bitter about underestimating me, knowing exactly what could've been in your hands had you just been a proper mother. From now on I'd like it if you just left me alone, though I know you won't."

"You're really going to turn me away?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.

"I'm not doing anything you haven't already done," I replied calmly. "Let's not get emotional and part here."

"You already have a family!" she snapped, her voice rising in desperation.

"Since when did that ever matter? Look at where the family is now," I said flatly. "Can you leave my property now?"

For the first time in my life, I saw a look on my mother's face I couldn't place. It was a mix of shock, realization, and perhaps a flicker of regret. But I knew better than to let it bother me. As she stood and left the room, her steps faltering slightly, I felt a strange mixture of relief and hollow victory. Whatever she was feeling, it wasn't for me. It was for the lost opportunities and the bridges she had burned. Now, as I watched her retreat, I realized that the best revenge was not just living well, but thriving in spite of everything.

Returning to the kitchen, I took back control of my station from Mario, who handed over the utensils with a concerned look. "Everything okay?" he asked, eyeing me cautiously.

I nodded, half distracted, "I just realized I forgot about my birthday tomorrow." The words felt odd coming out, trivial even, amid the emotional turmoil of the day.

Mario raised an eyebrow, "that's right, huh? You usually don't care about that stuff so you never celebrated."

"Yeah," I admitted, turning a steak on the grill, focusing on the sizzle as if it could drown out the chaos of my thoughts. In truth, I wasn't sure how to feel about everything that had just transpired, from Jasper's parents' invasive confrontation to the cold encounter with my own mother. It was just a mess—a tangle of personal conflicts that no amount of business acumen could smooth over.

"Take it easy, okay? We can handle things here if you need a break," Mario offered, his voice sincere.

I shook my head, forcing a small smile. "Thanks, but let's just keep the night going smooth. I need to keep busy." Cooking was a refuge, and right now, I needed the familiar rhythms of the kitchen to anchor me amidst the coming storm.