The neon lights of the bowling alley shone brightly overhead, casting a colorful glow over the polished lanes. Music played in the background over the sound of pins crashing and people laughing. This was supposed to be the scene of a fun evening, but a young boy named Steve had other plans.
Steve lined up his shot, a smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth. He threw his ball forcefully, sending it straight into the gutter. That was undoubtedly on purpose.
"Ugh, this is stupid!" he vented.
"You'll get it next time," Caleb said lightly.
Caleb could see Karen, his girlfriend and this boy's mother, from the corner of his eye. She looked anxious to say the least.
"Why don't you take a shot?" Steve said sharply.
Hoping to keep Karen calm, Caleb ignored the unfriendly tone and picked up his ball. He bowled a respectable spare, which only annoyed the frowning boy further.
"Wow, look at you. You probably think you're so cool, showing off for my mom."
Those words tested Karen's patience.
"Steve," she said as gently as she could, "that's enough."
"What? I was just joking. Don't be such a Karen, Mom!"
Karen's face fell, her expression a look of hurt.
"I need a minute," she said, rising from her seat and heading to the washroom.
Caleb watched her go, his chest heavy at the sight of her slumped shoulders and hanging head. She looked totally defeated. Steve, meanwhile, looked smug in his chair. Caleb held his breath, then decided to speak.
"You know," Caleb said, "how you talk to your mom makes her really upset. She's trying real hard."
Steve snorted, "What do you know?"
"I know your mom would do anything for you, so, I think she deserves better than the way you treat her."
Steve turned his face away towards the pins, "Whatever. You're not my dad. No one is."
"You're right. I'm not," Caleb agreed, "But I care about your mom so I want to see her happy. Can you give me a hand?"
Steve looked Caleb in the eye, "No, I can't. I don't want to see her happy. I don't want to see you happy either."
Caleb was both surprised and not surprised. He hoped maybe Steve could back down, but now knew it was foolish to think he could make a difference with his words. Steve was simply defiant - a malicious boy. No more 'mister nice guy', Caleb thought to himself.
"Alright!" Caleb said firmly, turning his nose up, "Be that way. I don't need your help. I'll make your mom happy and I will be happy. She and I will be happy on our own."
~~~
Caleb pulled up to the curb in front of Karen's house. He turned the engine off and walked Karen up the steps. Once she unlocked the front door, Steve burst in without a word. Karen sighed.
"Thanks for tonight," Karen said softly, "and...sorry."
"No problem, Babe," He kissed Karen's lips, "I'll see you soon."
Caleb drove around the block and pulled up to a convenience store. He checked the time on his phone before heading inside to pick up a few things. Once he paid the cashier, he sat back in his car and checked the time again. He opened a bag of chips and munched away. Once he was through with the chips, he started chewing on a few sour candies.
Caleb appeared in no rush at all. He looked out the driver side window, just gazing into the quiet night. The convenience store parking lot was nearly empty now. He reclined his chair and leaned back. The traffic lights a few meters away cast red, green, and yellow light against the ceiling of his car. He lost track of how many times they cycled.
When Caleb sat up again, he was the only car left in the parking lot. He checked the time on his phone once more, and nodded.
"You put Steve to bed yet?" Caleb texted.
He waited, tapping his thumb on the steering wheel. His phone buzzed.
"Thanks for checking in. Yes, he's in bed."
That was his cue.
"I'm coming," he wrote.
Caleb started his car and drove off, making his way back to Karen's house. Along the way his phone buzzed a few more times. He could only assume they were from Karen, wondering what he was on about. He pulled up to the curb just as before and took out his phone.
"Come to the door. I'm here," he texted.
The front door clicked as it unlocked. Karen poked her head outside.
"What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" she whispered.
Caleb gently pushed inside and closed the door behind him.
"Yes, something's wrong," he said quietly as he pulled Karen into his chest, "You were unhappy and that's not right."
Karen covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her giggles as Caleb planted kisses on her neck.
"Oh, I'm alright, Babe," she said.
Karen felt Caleb's hands trace her waist, caress the small of her back, and gently massage her backside. She knew what Caleb was looking for, and his touches raised her interest for the same too. They had been dating for some time now, and though she had thought about taking things further, the timing never seemed to work out. Between Steve's constant presence and the demands of everyday life, it was hard to find the right moment. Even now, Steve was in his room just down the hall.
Karen tipped her head toward the hallway, her voice regretful, "Steve's here."
"I know," Caleb said, "But he's asleep. Sleeping kids can't hear a thing, trust me."
Karen raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you're an expert on kids?"