“Here, come in.” He motions for them to follow us into the house.
“You have a lovely home,” Mom says as she looks around.
“Thank you. I’ve been fixing it up one project at a time. We can head outside. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“I’d love a beer if you have one,” Dad says.
“I’ll just take a water,” Mom replies.
“One beer and a water coming up.”
Silas heads toward the fridge, and I guide them toward the backyard.
“Isn’t this lovely?” Mom stops to look around as I lead them to the couches.
“Yeah, this is his favorite spot.” I take in a breath, loving the fresh air.
“I can see why.” Mom nods, then joins me on the couch, grabbing my hand in hers. “He sure is a handsome fella.”
I laugh out loud. “You totally sounded like Grandma there.”
She shrugs with a smile. “I know. She said that to me when I first brought your dad over to meet them.”
I don’t know why, but this melts my heart so much. I miss my grandparents more than I could ever imagine. They were such a big part of my life, growing up, and I feel like there will forever be a tiny hole in my heart with them gone.
“One beer and a water,” Silas says, handing them to my parents. “I poured you a glass of wine too.” He gives it to me.
“Thank you.” I reach for it, take a sip, and set it down. Normally, I love wine, but something isn’t settling right in my stomach, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be drinking tonight.
We all sit and talk about everything under the moon—from my childhood, to his upbringing, to the concert tomorrow. The night couldn’t be more perfect, and when dinner is ready, we all dive into the tenderest, juiciest meat I’ve ever tasted.
After everyone has eaten, my mom and I get started on the dishes while Silas and my dad head back to the backyard for some guy time.
“You sure didn’t eat much,” Mom says to me as she dumps my half-eaten meal in the trash. “Everything okay?”
I place my hand on my stomach. “It’s just nerves for tomorrow.”
She rubs my shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. I know you’ll do fantastic.” She wraps her arms around me in a hug. “I’m so proud of you. To see you living your dream with your music and finding this wonderful guy just really makes me so happy.”
“Thanks, Mom. It’s been wild for sure. I can’t believe all of it happened so fast—and basically at the same time.” I take a deep breath. “I’m just trying to remember to breathe through it all.”
“Enjoy it. You’re only this young once. All the excitement and worries and unknowns of your young adult life will be over before you know it, and then you’re stuck in what feels like Groundhog Day of day-to-day monotony.”
Her bluntness makes me laugh.
“Groundhog Day?”
She tilts her head to the side and raises her eyebrows, nodding her head. “You’ll see what I mean. You’ll look back at these days and think,Those were the days. Once you have a family of your own, your world changes.” She places her hand on my arm. “Don’t get me wrong; raising you was the best. It’s just different. Your life revolves around someone else. Right now, you get to live for you. And it’s the most amazing thing as a parent, getting to see your child follow their dreams.”
She’s right. Most people thought I was crazy to move to Nashville, but my parents were super supportive. They knew my dreams of being a country singer were a long shot, but they pushed me to try my hardest to get what I wanted out of life.
I give her a hug. “Thanks, Mom. I’m so thankful to have you and Dad as my guiding force.”
She hugs me back as I blink away tears, realizing just how lucky I am.
26
Kara
