Ryan breathed in for the umpteenth times before he was able to gather the supposed courage to face his mother. He tapped on his mother's huge oak door, as usual, ignoring the doorbell, and patiently waited on his mother's reply.
"It's not locked, Ryan..."He heard her voice from with in, his face was with that of surprise. She always knew he was the one at the door, and how she was always able to sound that loud was usually enough reason to baffle him.
Ryan, putting whatever thought he was having at the moment aside, pushed the oak door instead and walked in slowly like he was trying to watch his steps to prevent him from stumbling.
"Ah, Son -you came." She called out to him like she's been expecting his arrival as her almost aging lips broke into a small smile; even though it was a small smile, itwas radiant enough to reach her eyes -it reflects how glad she was to see him again.
His mother wasn't sitting in her usual favorite seat, this time, she was standing next to the fireplace and staring intensively at how the fire was blazing and cackling -she always used that to pass the day ever since she retired from work.
"Yes." His reply was quick and flat as he strode towards the largest cushion that was facing his mother, taking his seat lazily and letting out a deep breath. "I have to come, mother."
"Oh, I see." She threaded her words slowly as she turned her gaze yet again to the crackling fire from the fireplace, the fire reflecting brightly in her brown eyes and adding sparks to it -and silence hanging on the air and enveloping them.
Mrs. Lerman had expected a reply from her son but got none, he is always the type to relay whatever message he has without dragging time -this time, he kept mute without saying anything.
"Why have you come, Ryan...？" She asked out of the blues, her voice breaking the silence that was soon to rise to an awkward silence, her gaze still fixated on the fireplace. "I'm sure you have something you needed to let me know."
Mrs. Lerman knows her soon too well, ever since he got married to Anne; so she thought -her son had never paid her this usual mother-and-son visit, his appearance before him was always with a complaint or anything related.
Ryan sighed deeply, his mother's right-he did have something he needed to let her know and lend wisdom from her that he had to apply too. He did not know how to tell his mother about it -about everything.
Anne leaving him and claiming their marriage wasn't real, everything they had done all in the name of the court marriage was just a facade, and she left him with nothing.
Secondly, his business was at the verge of collapsing before his face, any time soon, with him doing almost nothing to it.
How would she react when she hears about it, Ryan needed no prophet to tell him that his mother would be greatly disappointed in him? He could imagine his mother's face laced with disappointment and she, blaming him. He had failed her as a son, and he did not know what to do about it.
He adjusted uncomfortably on his seat, facing his mother's back with thousands of thoughts running through his mind, he did not know how best to place the word to her. He is still yet to find his voice and the words seem to be choking him.
Ryan's mother was confused at her son's strange reaction to her question, It was obvious that there was something eating him up that he had wanted to share with her, but here he is keeping mute and troubled laced in his expression.
Mrs. Lerman turned to her son. "What's wrong with you, Ryan?" She requested, seeing that her son was not ready to say a word any time soon. "Its obvious there is something you want to tell me, and I guess that's why you have come to visit me out of the blues."
Ryan, knew he has to let the cat out of the bag. His mother was the only one he could confide in that very moment, the only person he would run to and who he was sure that was going to help him out.
"She left..."Ryan muttered, looking downcast. He tried his best not to let his gaze meet with that of his mother, he could imagine her face crumpled down in a deep frown over what he just said.
"What do you mean by she left?" He heard his mother's sharp voice demanded, she hated it when words are spoken in parables as much as she hated suspense too.
"Anne left yesterday's evening, I'm uncertain if she would ever come back." Ryan blurted out in a rush, sighing afterward.
"She left, eh?" His mother's voice sounded like she was trying to memorize the words.
"Yes..."Ryan cited simply in a lazy tone, having no much strength left in him to reply
-though there is still much explanation to do, he's tired of saying anything.
"Why had she left you after you both claimed to love each other to death, huh?" Mrs. Lerman asked rhetorically, and hertone was laced with mockery. "I never thought a day like this would ever come -I'm bewildered, for real, son."
Ryan raised her gaze to meet his mother's and the look on her face left him speechless. This was far from the reaction he expected from her, she was neither surprised nor disappointed.
He should have known better, she's barely taken aback with things like this. "...I've seen much relatable situations like this, son..." She always claimed.
"Aren't you surprised at this, mother?" He unconsciously muttered his question, his brows raised -he was the confused one instead of his mother.