Zara
"Hi, Mum. Sorry, I meant to call you back, but things just got busy here–donottouch your sister. Stay away from each other," I sternly commanded.
Sienna's bottom lip pushed out, and she rushed off to the other couch to bury her head in the cushions. I bit back a sigh as I rolled my eyes heavenward. Sienna hated to be told off.
"Oh, dear," my mum clucked. "You sound like you have your hands full right now. I can call you back later."
"No, no, it's okay. I had a free moment, but the kids have started up again."
Truthfully, I would probably be too tired to answer my mother's call later tonight, even if I were free. I would likely be asleep. She and I had been playing telephone tag for a while, and when I saw that she was awake, I called right away.
"Where's that son-in-law of mine?"
My gut clenched, and I rolled my lips in to keep my frustration at bay. "He went to the pub after work," I said between gritted teeth.
"Oh. Nice for some." I could hear her moving about, the sound of water pouring and a teaspoon clinking.
"How's Florence?"
My mother was currently on an extended holiday in Europe, as she often did this time of year. She wasn't a huge fan of summer, so whenever it got too hot, she would be off to find a milder climate. It also helped that she held an Irish passport thanks to her Irish father.
My mother hadn't always been like this; this carefreeEat, Pray, Lovetype of person. She married my dad straight out of high school and studied to be a teacher. She worked for a year at a primary school before she fell pregnant with my older brother. Since then, she'd become a stay-at-home mum and homemaker. She seemed to thrive and loved being at home while we kids grew up.
But then, when I was a senior in high school, my mum suddenly left my dad and divorced him. She got herself a little apartment and started doing things like salsa dancing, knitting circles and biking. And then, one day, seven years after the divorce, she booked a cruise around the Mediterranean, caught the travel bug and now takes off at the drop of a hat to see where her passport would take her.
"I'm no longer in Florence, dear. I'm in Liverpool catching up with an old girlfriend from school who's over here for two weeks. What a coincidence! I haven't seen her in yonks."
"Yeah, that's…crazy alright."
Truth be told, I didn't want to hear about my mum's travels. Every time she told me about a new activity she did or a new country she visited, there was an ugly feeling of guilt and jealousy. Jealousy because my mum seemed to run throughlife with no worries or accountability. And guilt because…I understood my mum so much better now.
"Anyway. I won't keep you much longer. I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming home a little earlier than planned."
"Oh?" I placed two bowls of cereal on the table and called out to the girls that their dinner was ready. Yes, it was that kind of night.
"I'll be home April twenty-seventh. I can't wait to see my babies."
I glanced at the calendar. That was still well over two months away.
"I just wanted to ask if you could open my apartment up a bit to air it out. Only if you have time."
"Ah, yes. I have time." I didn't let it slip that I sometimes went to her apartment to hang out when I needed a moment to breathe.
"Thank you, sweetheart. Now, where are my babies? Let me say hi to them."
I passed the phone to Kehlani, who excitedly told her nana about a birthday party she had just attended. They turned the call into a video and ate their cereal as they listened attentively to my mother relaying all the treats she was bringing home for them. I kept myself busy cleaning the kitchen, trying really hard not to check the clock.
Ten minutes later, we heard a small scratch on the front door, and Sienna shrieked, "Daddy's home!"
"Keep eating, girls," I firmly told them.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall as my girls bounced excitedly in their seats. "Hey, baby." James threw his keys on the kitchen bench before he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek.
He turned to grin at the girls, holding out his arms in welcome. "Hey, my darlings."
"Nana's on the phone!" Sienna cried out, jumping excitedly to her feet in her seat.
"Oh, yeah?" He made his way over to the table and bent down so he could see the screen. "Hey, Bronwyn. How's things?"
