Stop Saying Sorry

                                    

                                          
The next morning, Nick returned to his mother's house with a cool head, intending to make amends and clean up the mess he had made of her dining room. He would buy her a new table and anything else she wanted in order to forgive him.
Like the day before, Murray answered the door when Nick rang the doorbell. He welcomed Nick inside and patted him on the back. "Where's you husband?"
Murray was jumping the gun a bit, but Nick loved the sound of it. His husband. "I asked him to stay home. I thought you, mum, and I could talk."
"Of course," Murray beamed, walking Nick to the kitchen where Sarah was making a late breakfast. 
Before they were within Sarah's earshot, Nick stopped Murray and said, "I just want to apologize for what David said to you. It was beyond out of line."
Murray's round face hardened into a scowl that made Nick want to shrink away and hide. "Did you tell him to say those things to me?"
"N-no," Nick stuttered.
Murray burst out laughing and slapped Nick on the back. " Ahh. I got you," he chuckled before trying to tone himself back down to serious. "Don't apologize for other people's shitty behavior. You'll be saying sorry for the rest of your life."
En route to the kitchen, Nick peeked into the dining room, expecting destruction. Instead, he found a cleaned-up room that was missing a dining table.
"I was going to-" Nick started.
"No worries, right?" Murray grinned.
When they reached the kitchen, Nick could barely look at his mother, too ashamed of his actions.
"Awe, lovie," she cooed as she took her son into her arms. "You gave me a scare."
"I'm so sorry about last night, mum" Nick said, yet the words didn't feel like enough.
"No," Sarah protested, shaking her head. "You tried to tell me and I wouldn't listen."
"But I should have controlled myself."
"Well, maybe beating David up was a little over the top," she admitted. "But, if he wasn't my son, I might have done the same thing." Her eyes began to well. "I'm sorry I didn't listen, baby. And I'm sorry about David. I don't know what I did wrong that he is so full of hate."
"Hey!" Murray objected. "You know what I'm going to say. I just had the same talk with Nicholas. Why must you apologize when David is the one who did wrong?" he tsked. "It feels like I'm in Canada in this house. So many sorrys."
Sarah laughed away her tears, giving Nick another hug. 
"It isn't your fault," Nick said about David. "You raised us both, I'm not full of hate."
"No offence, Nicky, but David had it a little tougher than you. He was older during the divorce," she sighed. "I worry it did some real damage. Then again, he wasn't really ever a nice little boy. I love him but some would call him a brat. I tried to love him all the same, give you both equal attention. Yet somewhere down the line, he..."
"Turned rotten?" Nick finished for her.
She wouldn't agree out loud. Nick respected that she still loved David. She was a devoted mother.
Nick glanced at Murray, then back to his mother with a smirk of curiosity. "I need to ask. Are you living together?"
Murray rolled his eyes dramatically as Sarah giggled. "I wish," joked Murray.
"Um," she tittered. "We are not living together. It's a little early for that, but I wouldn't rule it out in the future."
Murray nodded in agreement. "We've both lived alone for years. It's difficult to adjust to living with someone else, especially a partner. Our relationship is good, no reason to change anything just yet."
"It's true. I was so used to sleeping alone, I nearly socked him in the face the morning after he first slept over," Sarah said.
Nick winced. He knew she hadn't mentioned sex directly, but still his skin crawled. "Ewe, mum, don't talk about sleepovers with Murray."
Murray chuckled boisterously, causing Nick to laugh through flushed cheeks.
"Grow up," Sarah huffed, ruffling Nick's fair hair before giving Murray a playful smack in the arm