Page 118 of Beast

“Jesus, Mom. No. She’s not pregnant.” At least I didn’t think she was. We hadn’t been using protection and we’d been making love every chance we could.

Annie stood by my side. Her own parents were so icy. I figured she didn’t even know what to say to my mom.

“Well, come inside.” My mom hugged Annie. “Welcome to the family. I always wanted a daughter and a grandson.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Walsh.”

“Please, Annie, call me Tracy. Or better yet Mom, if you feel comfortable. I have to get to know the woman who tamed my son. Gabriel, do you like trains?”

We went inside and sat on the sofa. My mom found one of my old train sets and set it out for Gabriel. She had prepared all my favorites: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, zucchini boats, and chocolate chip cookies. All from scratch.

Annie went into the bathroom to freshen up, Gabriel was watching television, and my mom pulled me inside the kitchen.

“Patrick Joseph Walsh, she is the Annie Hamilton, isn’t she? The girl from all the news stories who ran away from her family?”

I could never lie to my mom. “Yes. But that story was a cover up by her parents. She was kidnapped and forced into sex slavery. Gabriel is her child by the man who’d kidnapped her.”

Her mouth dropped. “Are you serious? I never believed the story on the news. There’d been sightings of her, even pictures on some escort website.” My mom lived for true crime stories, people who vanished without a trace, unsolved mysteries. She probably knew more about Annie’s disappearance than I did. “Pat, were you the one who saved her?”

“Yes.”

I don’t know how most moms would react to finding out their son had married a former prostitute, even if the girl had been kidnapped. But my mom wasn’t most moms.

“I’m proud of you, son. You’re a great man.”

I winced. I’d left out the part that I’d hired Annie in the brothel. My mom didn’t need the details. She’d be disgusted by me.

“As a woman, I’m even prouder of the fact you can love her and look beyond her past. Not many men would be able to do that and treat her with respect. And love another man’s child.” Her eyes looked pained. I knew she always felt guilty, that it was somehow her fault that I never had a dad. “She’s lovely and so is my grandson. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Annie emerged and sat down on the sofa. My mom brought out old photo albums and decided to embarrass the shit out of me.

“Here’s Pat with his favorite teddy bear.”

Annie loved the old pictures. I just sat back and watched her bond with my mom. If I’d taken the reward money her dad offered, I could’ve bought my mom a new house. I wished I could take care of her, maybe even move her down to San Diego so she could be close to Annie and Gabriel when I was gone.

“So what was Pat like as a kid?” Annie asked, with a gleam in her eye.

“Pat was very sweet and sensitive. Very attached to me. Loved trains and dogs. Always tried to protect me.”

“So, pretty much exactly how he is now.”

I laughed. “I’m hardly sweet.”

“You are, too. And super romantic. He remembers everything I say. Then he stores it in his brain and when I’m not expecting it—bam! All my dreams come true.”

My mom was eating this up. I rarely had the chance to spend quality time with her anymore, so I think getting a glimpse into my adult life was fascinating to her.

After humiliating me a bit more, Mom finally put the albums away. We put Gabriel to sleep.

“Well, Annie,” Mom said, “it’s been a pleasure. Please, you’re welcome in my home anytime. When Pat deploys, I hope you’ll come up here and visit me. I want to get to know my daughter-in-law and my grandson.”

“I’d love that.”

They hugged, then my mom turned to me.

“I love you, Patrick. I’m so proud of you.”