Rush

better than to ask, and yet he always did. The problem
     with asking his mother how she was doing was that she never took the polite way out
     and said
fine
like most people did, regardless of whether they were really fine or not.
    “I can’t believe what he’s doing,” she said in clear agitation. “He’s making a fool
     of himself and of me.”
    Gabe sighed. After nearly forty years of marriage, his father had moved out, served
     his mother with divorce papers and seemed determined to run through as many newer,
     younger models as quickly as possible. His mother wasn’t taking it well, as could
     be expected. And unfortunately, Gabe was her sounding board.
    He loved his father, but he was being a huge dick. Gabe didn’t understand it. How
     could you be with someone for that many years and then wake up one morning and decide
     to walk away?
    He wasn’t certain that he would have gotten to the point of asking Lisa for a divorce.
     She’d been the one to leave him. It may not have been the right thing to do, remain
     in a relationship where it was obvious there was no love or true affection any longer,
     but he would have spared her the pain and humiliation of a divorce. She, however,
     didn’t feel the same about sparing him. And he didn’t hold the divorce against her.
     Maybe he should have done something before allowing it to get to the point it had.
     But he hadn’t realized that Lisa was so desperately unhappy. What he held against
     her was the way she went about divorcing him.
    “It’s disgraceful, Gabe. Did you see the papers this morning? He had a woman on each
     arm! Now what would he do with two women?”
    No way Gabe was answering
that
question. He shuddered even imagining his father…No, he wasn’t even going there.
    “Mom, stop reading the society pages,” Gabe said patiently. “You know it’s just going
     to upset you.”
    “He’s doing it on purpose to punish me,” she railed.
    “Why would he punish you? What could you have possibly done to him?”
    “He’s showing me that while I’m sitting at home grieving over the death of my marriage,
     he’s out having the time of his life. He’s telling me with more than words that he’s
     moved on and that I no longer have any place in his heart.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom,” Gabe said gently. “I know this hurts you. I wish you would get out
     and do something. You have friends. You have plenty of pet causes that you donate
     to and volunteer your time. You’re still young and gorgeous. Any man would be fortunate
     to catch your eye.”
    “I’m not ready to move on,” she said stiffly. “It would be disrespectful to pick up
     with a man so soon after the divorce. Just because your father is acting like a classless
     jerk doesn’t mean that I won’t act with a little decorum.”
    “You need to worry less about what everyone else thinks and focus on what makes you
     happy,” Gabe said bluntly.
    There was a long silence and then his mother sighed. He hated her being so unhappy.
     It hurt him to see her in such pain. He tried to stay out of his parents’ affairs,
     but lately it had been next to impossible. His mom called him every other day to bitch
     about what his dad was doing, while his dad was busy trying to shove his latest girlfriend
     down Gabe’s throat. The problem was that he was with a different woman every time
     Gabe saw him, and his father was too focused on trying to bridge a gap in their relationship
     caused by the very thing he was trying to force on Gabe. Acceptance. He wanted Gabe’s
     forgiveness and acceptance. And while Gabe could forgive his father—he could hardly
     hold his decisions against him, it was his life and his happiness—he couldn’t accept
     another woman in the role his mother had performed for most of Gabe’s life.
    “I’m sorry, Gabe,” his mom said quietly. “I know you must hate it when I call. All
     I do is complain about your father. I shouldn’t do that. Whatever he’s done, he’s
     still your father and I know he loves you.”
    “Let’s have dinner over the weekend,” Gabe said in an attempt to lift her spirits.
     “I’ll take you to Tribeca Grill.”
    “I’m sure you’re busy.”
    “I’m never too busy for you,” he said. “I’ll always make time to have dinner with
     my mother. Now what do you say?”
    He could almost hear the smile in her voice.
    “I’d like that. It’s been a while since I’ve been out.”
    “Good. I’ll drive out and pick