Relieved she gave me a job this time, and didn’t make me sit and watch everyone else do the work, I nodded gratefully.
Dennis was on the grill, flipping some incredible-looking chicken. He turned and waved. “Well, there are the two busy bees! How’d it go?”
Jo released me, but not before giving me an extra squeeze. She smacked her husband on the butt and leaned over his shoulder. “Mmh, that’s lookin’ good, babe. How much longer?”
Dennis was easily distracted. “You’re lookin’ good, babe. But this should be done in about ten minutes or so.”
“Perfect!” She said loudly. “Allegra, sweetie, the salad mix should be in the trailer fridge. Do you mind? The potatoes are almost done, and I don’t want them to burn.”
I nodded, again grateful for a task, and walked in, careful not to completely close the door behind me.
Colton stayed back. He had to calm the worry in hismother before she started asking too many questions.
I found the salad and a large blue bowl. It was a prepackaged mixture, so all I had to do was open the wrappers and mix it all.
“I promise everything is fine,” Colton whispered, not very quietly.
“Did you break up?” Jo croaked.
“No!” Colton almost shouted. “She just…her mom was…it was a really bad experience with her mom. We’ll talk tonight, I’ll tell you what happened, but she’s told me a million times she just wants to move on.”
“That’s mature,” Dennis added.
“Yes, and as much as I want to let her cry it out and beat a dead horse over and over, I want to respect her wishes more,” Colton sighed. “So can we pretend that everything is fine?”
I wandered back out loudly, making enough noise that they knew I was coming out.
The three broke up their whisper huddle and turned to look at me.
The Nash family was as kind as the day was long, but they were the most unsubtle people I had ever met.
“Colton, do you want to go change so you can be ready to go right after we eat?” I asked as I set the salad on the folding table with paper plates and condiments.
Colton nodded, kissed my cheek, and walked into the trailer.
“You are so good for that boy,” Jo said. It was the best compliment a mother could give to the girl dating her son, and it warmed my broken heart. “He’s always been as stubborn as amule, but sweetie, he would do anythin’ you ask. You’re breakin’ through the impenetrable fortress of Colton’s strength. I am so glad he found you.”
I blinked back tears that suddenly stung my eyes, throwing my hand to brush away her words. “Oh, I don’t know about that. He’s really…” I thought about the heartmelting words he had said to my mother only an hour before. “He’s really the biggest gentleman I’ve ever met. He treats me better than I could ever even imagine.”
“He’d better! If he doesn’t, be sure to tell me, and I’ll make sure he learns a good lesson.” She put her arms around me, holding me as tightly as she could while still allowing me to breathe.
So much for pretending everything was normal.
I wanted to stay stiff, corporate Allegra, but a few seconds later, I let myself melt into her touch. It was like a brick wall crashing down and sunlight surrounding me.
I wish there was something like that I could do for my heart.
For the first time in my life, I truly understood why people drank to “numb the pain.” I closed my eyes as a wave of empathy for my mother washed over me.
Yes, she always had her issues, even before Dad died, but I remembered so much good with her in the early days.
She wasinfatuatedwith Dad, stuck to him like glue whenever he was home. When he had to go back on the road, she’d scream, fight, throw things, whatever she could do to try and get him to stay. When he left, she’d lock herself in her room for days, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t leave for nothing, even me.
When Dad died, Mom truly thought her world had ended.I was just the memory of her grief that she was forced to love in the wake of her dead husband. I was the burden she had to carry every day after the funeral.
So yes, my mom had it rough when the love of her life died.
But she didn’t have to watch him die in front of her eyes.
