I can't fault her for that. I'd also be beside myself if my life turned upside down within a couple of hours. But she's acting like this is the end of the world.
"Could you please both be there?" my mom pleads.
"Yes, I will be there. What time?" Amelia replies.
"I'll start cooking around 5:30 p.m." Bruce opens a pack of Pop-Tarts and takes a giant bite out of both pastries at the same time.
"Great, I'm going to go surf the internet again and see who else might be hiring right now. I can't work at Roasted for the rest of my life."
My eyes follow her body as she leaves the room, her dad shaking his head like he will never understand his own daughter.
"Roasted?" Bruce looks to me like I have answers. I shrug him off instead.
"What do you think you'll do for a job? Have you looked?" my mom asks.
"I might look into some construction jobs. I'm sure my experience, even if it was mostly volunteer, will help. I'm not in any rush."
My mom isn't aware of my finances. I wasn't receiving a weekly paycheck while backpacking in South America, but I also didn't need much to survive on.
The bit of money my mom gave me from my dad's inheritance for college has been sitting in investments and accruing a profit. I could live off it for a year and be comfortable. But I also don't want to spend it frivolously because I know once it's gone, it's gone.
"I was thinking of fixing Dad's car."
My mom's cheeks turn pink, and I can't tell if she's about to cry or cheer in excitement.
The Mustang was what brought my parents together.
My mom worked the concession stand at the local drive-in when she was seventeen. My dad would show up every week and he'd always come alone; no date or friends in his trunk to sneak them in.
Aside from his usual order of popcorn and a Coke, they didn't exchange many words. She'd watch him go back to his beautiful car and wait until next week to hopefully see him again.
Then one day, he ordered two Cokes and two popcorns. She wasn't aware he brought a date. It was bound to happen, but she smiled and prepared his order anyway. When my mom handed over the two drinks and popcorn, my dad asked, "Mind skipping your shift tonight to watchCaddyshackwith me?"
She practically threw off her apron and jumped over the counter. And it was true love ever since.
I'm sure I was conceived in the back of that Mustang, which would normally gross me out, but any happy memory of my parents together is welcomed.
They got married a year later, right out of high school, and just legal to do so.
He joined the military because he had no clue what to do with his life after they graduated. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, which was what brought them to Southern California.
My mom spent her time on the beach or in the tiny house they rented, brainstorming ideas and possible career choices. It was there when she settled on the floral company that is still successful to this day.
They didn't have kids right away for multiple reasons. My dad was working his way up the Marine Corps, and my mom wanted to establish herself as a florist before things got serious.
And when they finally did try, they were unsuccessful for years. Eventually, I came along like a miracle and remained their only child.
Like many, our lives changed when 9/11 happened. I was only six years old and barely knew what was going on in the world, unsure why my dad would be home and then disappear for weeks at a time.
But it became our new normal, and for the following decade, my mom and I thrived when my dad was around. Life was always better when he was home.
The Mustang was a project we worked on when he was in between deployments. Sometimes he went a year without leaving, sometimes only a few months between missions.
I got my hands dirty and fell in love with repairing that classic car. We fixed it up and replaced things that had too much wear and tear, updated the interior dash when CD players became popular, and modernized it as best we could.
But now, I have no idea what it needs. I think it still runs. I'll have to take an inventory of what needs to be done. I'm sure the battery has corroded and an oil change is necessary. The body itself is in amazing shape, but what's under the hood is another story.
Just like me.
