When we pulled into the designated parking spot, my mother appeared at her door, waving at us.
“Oh boy,” I said. “Here we go! That’s my mom.” I pointed to where the crazy woman still had her hands in the air.
“I love her already,” Colin said, opening his door. He pulled out the suitcase as I reached into the back for his gift to my mom. We switched so that he would be holding the enormous bouquet of sunflowers mixed with crimson daisies and coral roses. I’d told him she loved decorating for fall, and he chose well.
I went in for a hug first, my mom holding me tightly. “I’ve missed you, sweetie. Oh, Kate, it’s been too long.”
My mom let me go, and before I introduced Colin, she wrapped him in her arms.
“Colin, I have to hug you. If you love my daughter, I have to hug you.” My mother hugged him as if she already knew he wasn’t temporary.
While he’d had a moment of surprise at first, he also put his free arm around my mother. “Mrs. Donovan, I’m so glad to finally meet you. I brought you these.”
My mom let him go to take the flowers. She eyed them, then my boyfriend, and then looked back down at the flowers. Suddenly her eyes welled up, and she covered her face.
“Mom.” I put my arm around her, concerned.
“I just… Kate, I’ve lived for and dreaded this moment for so long. The day you’d bring a man home to meet me… I just wish your father was with me to see you two together, is all.”
“Aw, Mom,” I said, fighting back my own tears. I wondered if we were making Colin uncomfortable, but then he chimed in.
“I wish I’d had the chance to meet Kate’s father, too. She’s told me so much about him. I’m sure we would have gotten along.”
My mother grabbed Colin by the arm and pulled him inside, leaving me on the porch. I scoffed, rolled the suitcase inside, and closed the door behind me.
As soon as we were seated on the couch, my mother gave me some very grave news.
“I had to go out and get you both something for tonight’s theme night,” she said with all the seriousness she probably thought the situation deserved. “I didn’t know you were coming until you phoned me yesterday, and I completely forgot about the party tonight until a couple of hours ago, and then it was too late to tell you to bring the right clothes. But it will have to do.” She stood up and disappeared into her bedroom.
Colin looked to me for clarification, but I had none to give.
“What clothes, Mom?” I called out. “What party?”
She returned with a brown and a beige cowboy hat in each hand, handed them to us, and sat back down.
“It’s Country Harvest Night in the recreation room. You should see it. Hay everywhere. Big wooden barrels and pumpkins all over the place. I hope you like to dance, Colin.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing as Colin put on his cowboy hat.
“I hope I can takeyouout on the dance floor, Mrs. Donovan,” he said without faltering.
“You sure can. Kate, get your stuff settled in your room. I’ve had such a day. I need a long bath. There’ll be food at the party, but you can snack on anything I’ve got in the pantry there, Colin. Don’t be shy.”
“Thank you,” he said as my mother went back into her room and closed her door.
I put my cowboy hat on and said, “So you’ll behappyto dance with my mother, but what about me?”
He sighed. “Ihaveto dance on Country Harvest Night.”
I leaned in to kiss him, but our hats bumped into each other.
“Get ready to be the center of attention,” I warned him.
“I’m used to it.”
“Oh, are you?” I cocked my head back.
He shrugged. “The only attention I want is yours.”
