Mom gathered me in her arms, and in my ear, she said, “I’m sorry I disturbed you at work. But I didn’t want to leave without you knowing that you and Gabe have Robbie’s and my approval. And I wanted to be here when the words were said.”
It was then it fully dawned on me that Angels’ business, and other business besides, frequently tore Lucia from her zone, and she never complained.
And The Surf Club was more family than work (no matter what Tex kept trying to drill into us).
And Mom was family.
I was just up in my head about doing Tex and Tito right, Lucia right, and not messing up this chance they gave me.
I always wanted to see my mom.
And I definitely wanted to be with her when she shared what she’d just shared.
“Thanks, Mom,” I choked out, hanging on to her like she was holding me up. “And don’t worry about disturbing me at work. I just got my decal today, so I’m overemotional.”
“Understandable,” she replied, and then, “I hope you know, I love you so much, baby doll.”
I pulled back, swiping at my face and said, “I’m sorry I put you through so much with Kevin.”
She shook her head, a small but happy smile on her face, even if what she said next might belie that.
Still, it also didn’t.
“When your father finally was gone for good, it was about the fifth time I kicked his ass out. And it was about the sixtieth time I knew I had to kick his ass out and do it for good. I took him back, because I loved him. I took him back, because we’d made a family. I took him back, because I didn’t want to admit to myself how wrong I was about him. I took him back, because I didn’t want to admit to anyone else I was wrong about him. I could stand here and give you a hundred other reasons I convinced myself, and he convinced me, to give him another chance. Would I have liked to share that with you thinking it would save you the hassle and heartbreak of dealing with Kevin? Yes. Did I know you had to figure it out for yourself, just like I did? Also, yes.”
She cupped my jaw in both hands and leaned close to me.
“As rough as I knew that was for you,” she went on, “I knew you’d figure it out in the end. I had no doubt. I was right. And you figured it out way before you got yourself in a space where it wasn’t only you it would affect.” She gave me a toothy smile. “Progress.”
I’d gotten a handle on the tears, but when she said all of that, I lost it again.
So, of course, Mom pulled me in her arms again.
And she wasn’t done shredding me, but in the loveliest way possible.
“You’ll learn, when you have your own babies, that it’s worth going through those times so you can have times like these. Times when you’re proved right and you feel so proud. Times like Robbie had, when you got a girl who’s smart enough to learn, strong enough to get on with it, and sharp enough to find the right one the next time.”
I hiccoughed with my sob.
She pulled away, put her hands back to my jaw, but this time, she swiped under my eyes with her thumbs and said, “I hope you have some makeup to do a refresh.”
I’d thought they were spending another night, so I left it at Gabe’s.
But we had a lot of chicks working there, therefore I figured someone would set me up.
“I’ll be okay,” I assured.
“We want him up for the weekend. Soon. Robbie’s ecstatic he has someone to chop wood with.”
First, I had to wrestle with the concept of Robbie being “ecstatic” about anything.
Then, I had to tamp down all the goodness that bubbled up at the thought of watching Gabe chop wood.
Finally, I said, “We’ll figure that out. And we’ll do it soon.”
She gave me another hug, tapped my cheek with her finger, and then she sashayed out.
I grabbed my phone and texted Gabe about the change of plans tonight and his parents going to Prescott.
