A Reason to Exist

Chapter 51

Thankfully mum was preoccupied with Tate's full dress rehearsal for Mary Poppins and she didn't ask me twenty million questions about how I was going to spend my Saturday. I was able to get out of the house without having a showdown about Tucker. I slipped next door while mum was stitching fallen-off sequins onto Tate's bowtie.

Tucker opened the door with a smile that felt like I was under a heat lamp.

'Bloody hell, I'm so nervous and excited,' he said. It was day one of filming with the American filmmaker. Tucker had asked me to come along. He did a 360 spin in the kitchen. 'What do you think of what I'm wearing?' I smiled. He looked the same as he always did on the weekend. Long black shorts, a lime green Wrangler t-shirt, black Vans, white Stussy socks pulled up his calves and a rusty orange beanie. 'Does it look like I've tried too hard?'

'It doesn't look like you've tried at all,' I said, enjoying this little moment of Tucker's uncertainty like a rare gem.

'Good, good,' he said.

His mother walked into the kitchen. 'Hey there, Macy.'

'Hi, Mrs King.'

'You can call me Astrid,' she said. 'So very exciting isn't it? My boy, about to be filmed and shown internationally. Who would've thought? All those hours of skating and now this. He practically skated before he could walk, you know. We had a half pipe in the backyard that his dad built and he'd spend hours and hours perfecting a trick. He never got frustrated or gave up. He had the patience of a saint. He'd fall over, knee gushing blood, and he'd be back on his board without a complaint attempting the trick again. Over and over again. He was obsessed.'

Tucker gave his mum a hug. He was a whole head taller than her. I could see in their embrace real love and mutual adoration and a friendship so strong wild winds couldn't blow it away. She lifted her chin up towards his neck and buried her nose into him. He smiled and giggled and I got an insight into how Tucker would've been as a young child.

'I've packed you both some lunch,' she said, uncurling herself from her son. 'You're going to need all your energy for your tricks. And you, Macy, you're going to need all your energy as his fan club. I'd come, but Tucker said not to today.'

'Muuuum ....'

'I get it. It's not a cool look to have your mum hanging around. Besides, I've got a second date with Anthony the musician. Did Tucker tell you he was in a band in the 90s who toured the world? I'm not allowed to say which band it was. They all wore masks, so no one knew their identities. It was very 90s. Anyway, we're going to the museum. Do you think that's a lame date place? I'm not sure about it. It was his choice. I think it's a bit lame. I don't think he's got any money. I haven't been to the museum since you boys were kids and you liked the spider displays. You couldn't give a rat's arse about the dinosaurs, I remember that. Anyway, it's all fun. No idea how single mums used to meet men before online dating. There's never been a better time to be a single mum. That's what I was telling my friend Rita the other day. No one needs to be lonely. Anyway, I'm rambling.'

She went over to the bench and grabbed two paper bags with food and four cans of Coke from the fridge. 'Be good, you two. I've got to hop in the shower. It's time consuming all this dating prep. I used to go six months without shaving my legs with your father. Now I'm plucking my eyebrows twice a week.'

'And buying sexy lingerie,' Tucker said. My eyes almost popped out of my head that they could have such banter together. I could not even imagine speaking to my mother as freely as this. No wonder Tucker is like he is; no hang ups, complete freedom to be who he wants to be. His mum had a zest for life. She hasn't given up. She had interests outside of her sons and they love her for this.

I saw before my eyes the guidebook for how to be a good mum – how to have faith in your child's abilities, how to make them believe in what they can do, how to give them an open access pass for their dreams. She takes an interest in what Tucker does, but doesn't smother him, she's proud without boasting, she's supportive without expectations. I half loved this woman myself.

'Enjoy your date,' I said quietly, unaccustomed to speaking to a parent like this.

'Thanks Macy. Take care of Tucker.'