Tuesday Tales - Hard

 

Welcome! This week's word prompt is "hard." We have another episode of my new story, that remains without a title! Don't forget to visit all the wonderful stories. Find them HERE. Thanks for stopping by.

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“Tyler, breakfast!” His mother called. He shoved the pillow over his head. “Waffles!”

The scent of his mother’s famous waffles slipped under his door and seduced his nose. He poked his head out, like a turtle, and threw back the covers. Yanking a robe from the hook on the back of his door, he pulled it on and flew down the stairs and into the kitchen.

His eyes went right to the waffle iron, where a small wisp of steam rose. He licked his lips and plopped down in his usual chair. Uncle Charlie with his bushy white brows and thinning hair chewed as his fork stood poised to drop another delectable piece of sour cream waffle into his mouth. With his free hand, he pushed the bottle of real maple syrup toward his nephew.

Since when could his mother afford real maple syrup? Guilt landed in the pit of his stomach. Now Tyler was unemployed, he wouldn’t be sending home a couple hundred bucks every month as usual. It would be damn hard to break the news to his mother.   

“One or two?” his mother asked, breaking into his thoughts.

“Two. Definitely two,” he said

“I hear Merrily Adams is back for the holiday,” Marge said.

“Yeah?” He bit back “who cares” stuck on his tongue, waiting to come out.

“I think it’s nice she comes back to have Christmas with her family.”

“Where else is she gonna go, Ma, the Riviera? Everyone goes home for Christmas.”

His mother made a noise and shrugged.

“What your mother means is maybe you should call her.”

“I know what she means. I chose to ignore it.”

“Could it hurt? I mean you and she were sure close enough in high school.”

“That’s light years ago, Ma.”

“She’s still smart and pretty.”

“And successful enough to buy and sell me a hundred times over,” came flying out of his mouth.  

“She isn’t married,” Charlie said.

“Yeah. She could do a lot worse than you, ya know.”

“Gee thanks, Ma. With a ringing endorsement like that I’m surprised she’s not over here and down on one knee.”