“Doing what?” his father asked.
“I don’t need to explain my every move to you, but I’m consulting with the last company I was with. It’s six months tops. I agreed to fly out for a retreat this weekend and then meet with some of the staff for a few days next week.”
Things were going well, but they could be better. He was making progress, and though his mother thought he was lazy, he wasn’t.
Once he sank his teeth into something, that was it, he’d stick with it and make the best of it, because walking away just wasn’t in him.
Which just went back to his fear of thinking he couldn’t stick.
He did.
All the time.
Once he was done, that was when he moved on.
Why hadn’t any of this occurred to him before?
He hadn’t realized there was nothing long term in his life prior. There was now!
His parents were hissing insults back and forth at each other. Something about his father watching the young woman who brought him another scotch.
“She’s got an engagement ring on her hand, Eric. Can’t you not look at women as sex objects for an hour?”
“There isn’t anything wrong with looking,” his father said.
It didn’t warrant a reply. Nothing ever did with his parents.
“You were saying you had some job,” his mother asked. “Are you considering investing in another company?”
“No. I don’t mind the consulting. It’s actually fun and not something I’d thought of before. When this is done, the baby will come shortly after and I’ll have other priorities.”
“I’m sure Natalie will be fine with the baby alone,” his father said.
“The plan is for her to return to work. She loves her job and I’d never tell her she can’t work. Just like you didn’t tell Mom.”
That shut them both up. For one minute.
“That’s different,” his mother said. “You’ve got a lot more than your father ever did or would. And it’s not as if she’s got a career like we do.”
“She has a great career she loves. It’s more than I can say about my life. I wouldn’t take that from her any more than I’d want someone to take it from me. My point is my life is just that. Mine. I’ll figure it out when I need to, my way.”
Their food was delivered; he picked up his burger and bit in. He wouldn’t stop eating or chewing until it was time to go. He was done talking and hoped they were too.
The bill came, he handed his card over, added double what should be a generous tip for the trouble the poor server had dealing with him and his parents, then stood up and left without saying goodbye.
“How did it go?” Natalie asked him hours later.
He was sitting at the airport waiting to board.
The past few days had been tough fighting the urge to reach out to her. But he needed to know what she’d do. Would she check on him? Or stay silent and let the space grow that she’d said she needed?
Either could have happened.
She checked in. A few times a day.
The relief was greater than he had imagined it would be.
“They were still arguing at the table when I left. I’m not sure they saw me leave.”
