Page 4 of Even More Christmas Magic and Romance
Lolly started for the door. “I just wanted to do something nice for them when they came for dinner. Things didn’t work out. My timing was way off. The peas were mushy, and I overdid the turkey. No one complained, but the whole thing was a disaster.”
I thought about my first attempt at making a Thanksgiving dinner. I’d carefully planned out the meal, but my cooking skills were almost nonexistent. My dinner was headed for disaster too.However, that was the day I met Stanley. He was a friend of my brother and an unexpected dinner guest. He arrived early and saved the day. After that, he helped me through some trying, emotional times. Without knowing it was happening, I fell in love with the guy.
Before Lolly and I could leave the room, Ben sprung out of his bed. After a good shake, he buzzed past us and headed down the stairs. I swear, he can read my mind when it comes to taking a walk.
Four
AFTER LETTING STANLEY know where we were going, Lolly and I strolled down the street to Mom’s house. The snow had almost stopped. With the warming temperature, the sidewalks were wet but not slippery. Ben was a little gentleman on his leash. He pranced along next to me without any tugging or pulling. It was his second outing of the day. Stanley took him to the dog park that morning. Running around the park with his canine friends, Ben got a good bit of exercise and returned home a happy pup. There was only one downside. He got all muddy, and Stanley had to give him a bath. Ben puts up with itall, including the toweling and blow drying, but he always races around the house afterwards.
Since my sister and I have been pregnant at the same time, we’ve become very close. It wasn’t always like that. As an adult, I followed in my Dad’s footsteps. I loved the business end of things. Lolly was a homebody like Mom and loved children. While I was selling real estate, she taught kids in an elementary school.
When we got to Mom’s house and knocked on her front door, we only had to wait a few moments before she answered.
“My girls,” she said with a smile, “what a nice surprise.”
Soon we were in the kitchen, seated at the table. Ben was in a plush bed Mom bought for him. He was chewing on a couple of homemade doggie treats that Mom kept on hand. Lolly and I sipped tea. Neither of us was quick to question Mom about her feelings. Still, I could see her unhappiness when she looked at me. After some small talk about the weather, she got up and went to the counter to refill the tea kettle.
With her back to us, Mom spoke in a quiet voice. “I know why you’re here, but I’m not sure what to say to you.”
Lolly cleared her throat. “We want to know if you’re alright.”
Mom glanced back at each of us. “Adam and I are having a hard time,” she said. “We’ve never disagreed about anything serious. So I was surprised when he told me some things.”
I should know enough to keep quiet, but as usual, I spoke up. “What things? Please, Mom, tell us what’s going on.”
Mom hesitated, then sat back down at the table. “Adam wanted me to go to New York with him. He said your father has already taken up too much of my time.” She shook her head. “I think he’s jealous because I’ve spent a lot of time helping your Dad with his new house.”
Lolly reached out for Mom’s hand. “Does he have a reason to be jealous? Do you still have feelings for Dad?”
Mom lowered her gaze and stared at her clasped hands. “I’m not sure.”
I didn’t comment. I sat back and stared at my tea cup. At one time, I would have loved it if Mom and Dad were together. However, the divorce seemed to be a good thing for both of them. Mom found an ability to be independent. Dad changed in a good way too. He was much more available emotionally. Plus, he was learning new skills. He got tired of eating out and decided to learn how to cook. That was a big deal for a guy like my father.
Lolly pressed on. “Maybe with Adam being away for a while, you’ll have time to think about what you want.”
Mom sniffled. “I suppose so. It’s just that I thought Adam and I were so happy. Was I fooling myself?”
I reached out too. “Lolly is right. Use this time to think about what and who you want in your life. See what works and what doesn’t.”
Mom blew her nose and smiled back at each of us. “I’ve raised two very wise women. I’m very proud of you both.”
I looked at Lolly’s expanding girth and patted my belly. “Soon you’ll have two grandbabies to think about.”
Lolly used my comment as a way to lighten up the conversation. “Mom, Gloria is concerned about her baby being born on Christmas day. What do you think about that?”
Mom beamed back her best smile. “A Christmas baby? What a delightful present that would be for all of us! That’s what I think.”
I heaved out a breath of relief. “Hearing you say that makes me feel better. Thank you.”
After we left Mom’s house and started home, I nudged Lolly’s arm. “Do you have any thoughts about Mom and Adam?”
“Only that Mom might be slowly falling into the same needy role she had with our dad. What about you?”
I didn’t hesitate to offer an opinion. “I’m surprised by it all. She was doing so well before she started dating. Why is she letting herself revert?”
“Maybe she’s just confused. She was married for a lot of years. Now she’s got two men in her life.”
“I never thought she still had romantic feelings for Dad,” I said. “I thought they were strictly friends.”
