“Then next Saturday.”
“Next Saturday works,” I said. “Same time, 8:00.”
He didn’t show up the next Saturday either.
This time, the excuse was that he’d been called in to work.
The Saturday after that, one of the children was sick.
By the fourth Saturday, I stopped expecting him, but I was curious to see how long he’d keep making excuses, so I kept giving him chances.
It was on the sixth Saturday that he actually appeared at my door, looking sheepish and carrying a cup of coffee from the expensive place down the street.
“I know I’m late,” he started.
“3 hours late,” I corrected.
“But I’m here now, and I brought you coffee. That vanilla latte you used to love.”
I accepted the coffee but didn’t drink it.
“Mrs. Chen finished cleaning her garage 4 weeks ago, Cedric. Her son came and helped her.”
His face fell.
“Oh. Well, maybe there’s something else I can help with.”
I studied him for a moment.
He looked tired, thinner, but not broken.
His clothes were clean, and his hair was styled.
He wasn’t sleeping in his car anymore, which meant he’d found somewhere to live without my help.
“Actually, there is something,” I said. “I’ve been volunteering at the community center, reading to seniors who can’t see well anymore. They need more volunteers.”
His expression brightened.
“That sounds perfect. I love old people.”
I almost laughed.
Cedric had never shown any particular fondness for elderly people.
If anything, he’d grown impatient with me as I’d aged, rolling his eyes when I moved slowly or repeated myself.
“Great. They meet Tuesday mornings at 9. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”
“Tuesday morning?”
His smile faltered.
“I usually work Tuesday mornings.”
“You said you’d do anything.”
“I know, but I can’t just skip work. I need this job.”
“Then maybe Thursday afternoons. They have a group that meets then, too.”
“Thursday afternoons, I pick up the kids from school.”
I nodded slowly.
“What about evenings? They have a dinner program for isolated seniors. You could help serve meals.”
“Evenings are family time. Jessica thinks it’s important that we eat dinner together as a family.”
I set down the untouched coffee.
“Cedric, in the past 5 minutes, you’ve told me you can’t volunteer Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons, or any evening. When exactly are you available to prove how sorry you are?”
He shifted uncomfortably.
“Well, I mean, weekends. I could do weekend stuff.”
“You’ve missed six Saturday appointments.”
“That was different. Those were emergencies.”
“Were they? Because from where I sit, it looks like helping others will always be your last priority. Just like respecting me was always your last priority.”
His face flushed red.
“That’s not fair, Mom. I’m trying here.”
“Are you? Because trying means showing up when you say you will. Trying means making sacrifices for other people, not just expecting them to make sacrifices for you.”