Desire

"So," Tanya sighed, "My son has a girlfriend."

My eyes widened in response. Tanya had been dreading this day since he turned ten years old.

"He just turned fifteen," she groaned, inhaling her double shot of whiskey, "Does he have to be so eager to turn me into a grandmother? I'm not even forty yet."

I bit my bottom lip, uncertain how to respond, "Another round?"

She gave me an unhappy glance, "You have to ask?"

I poured us another glass as she wallowed in self-pity, "At least you get to drink for free."

"No, I'm lucky I work in a bar," she corrected, "Where I don't care if my boss wants to fire me."

"Tries," I implied, "Tries to fire you, but you refuse."

"If he wanted it to stick," she swallowed, "Then he wouldn't let me come back."

"It's hard to tell you no," I smiled, "It's his first girlfriend. I don't think anything will come of it."

"I was his age when I had him," she reminded.

"True," I drank, "You raised him better than that."

A look of gratuity flashe