Page 65 of A Lifetime in 30 Days
“Then why did you call today?”
“Because I missed arguing with you,” he said, and she smiled.
“Oh. Well, I thought you called because you somehow knew I was going for a second helping of maple-and-brown-sugar waffles instead of fruit.”
He chuckled. “No. But I’m glad you’re getting used to holding yourself accountable.”
“Whatever, Aden,” she said, smothering her urge to smile. “I really do have to go.”
“Okay, that’s fine. Go and finish your bingo game. Can I call you later? You know, without having an excuse?”
Now she was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. “I mean, I guess, if that’s what you want to do.”
“Yeah,” he said, and she could hear that he was smiling too. “That’s definitely what I want to do.”
Chapter 20
August 31—Vanna’s Fortieth Birthday
Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.
Vanna sat on the side of her bed, holding the card in her hand. She had read it four times now, from the moment she’d taken it out of the box on her dresser until she’d walked back across the room to take a seat. The feeling that she needed to sit with those words, especially today, was overwhelming. It seemed as if she’d come to the edge of a cliff and some tough decisions needed to be made before she took another step. And surrounding those tough decisions was a vicious combination of negative thoughts that had been prickling against every positive affirmation or motivational quote she’d read this month.
Counterproductive. That’s how she felt she’d been moving. Like for every two steps forward, she would take three steps back. And while most of that was due to events that had taken place in her life, she knew it was her reaction that she was responsible for.
Whatever Caleb was and whatever he’d done in the last year of his life ultimately had nothing to do with her. They were his decisions, his actions. Now, it was a fact that she’d been caught in those decisions and actions, but she didn’t have to act defeated because of that. Just as throughout the marriage she hadn’t needed to be the victim. At any point during that time, and what she’d actually finally done five years ago, she could’ve decided to remove herself from the situation.To believe in herself more than she wanted to create the illusion of a happy union.
As for the charges that were—as of yesterday—still pending against her, she had to put that in God’s hands. When Jovani called her just before she’d left her office Friday afternoon, she’d been expecting to hear that the motion he’d filed had been successful and that she no longer had a criminal case dangling over her head. She’d thought that would be the perfect birthday present. But that wasn’t what he’d said. A hearing on the motion was scheduled for Tuesday morning, which meant the resolution was further delayed. Still, she had decided to believe that all things would work out for her good.
And this morning, her fortieth-birthday morning, she’d felt like that was even more true. It was a combination of the beautiful sunrise she’d witnessed when she’d first climbed out of bed at six thirty and theI Love Lucytheme music that had been playing when she turned the television on because she’d apparently forgotten to turn off the DVD player when she fell asleep last night. Thankfully, her TV had auto-power off, or that would’ve played all night.
There’d been a definite pep in her step as she headed into the bathroom to take a shower and then came out to select her card of the day. Now she read those words again:Don’t feed what you don’t want to grow.
It was more than fitting, she thought just as her phone buzzed from the nightstand. She set the card down on the bed beside her and reached for the phone.
Aden:Happy 40th birthday, beautiful.
The smile that covered her face was probably brighter than the sunshine slicing through the open blinds in her bedroom. Her fingers moved quickly to type out a reply:
Vanna:Thank you!
They’d been back to texting every day since the Bingo and Brunch last Saturday, settling into an informal rotation of him doing theGood morningtext one day, and her following up on the next. Daily check-ins throughout the day of funny memes, inspiring words, or random questions were now the norm. And in the evening, they’d settled into talking on the phone an hour or so, or putting each other to bed, as Aden had called it. That part had reminded Vanna of her teenage years of sneaking to stay on the phone all night with some boy. Only now, the boy was a full-grown, fine-as-hell, successful and mature man who seemed to like her a lot. Despite her moods and all the baggage she still carried.
Jamaica:Happy birthday V!! My bestie!!
Vanna grinned at the next text to come through.
Vanna:Thanks boo!
Ronni:Yay! You’re up. Didn’t want to wake you, but happy birthday!
You ready to turn up tonight?
Vanna:You know it! Granny scheduled our mani/pedis for ten this morning,
but I’m about to get dressed now and go find me some breakfast.
Jamaica:You and your addiction to breakfast. LOL Be ready at five.
