“You can do better than that. You live right outside Boston. Surely, you could find the time.”
An uncomfortable silence passed between us. My mom wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t trying to be cruel, at least not intentionally. That’s what made this so hard.
“Sure. I’ll give her a call soon and invite her to lunch.”
A relaxed sigh echoed through the phone. “Thank you, Becca.”
I figured I would change the topic. “How is your vacation?”
My mom had a condo in Cabo that she had been escaping to for years. She bought it after my dad passed, claiming she needed some place to decompress, where there weren’tmemories. It was her little slice of heaven, where she made room for new memories with whoever was in her life at the time.
“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Her tone brightened immediately. “I met someone. His name is Dan. He’s a dentist.”
I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say. Since my father passed away, she’s been married three times.
“That’s nice,” I said, hoping to get my ass off the phone so I could go back to getting ready. I had a feeling I was going to need a drink after this call.
“He asked me to marry him.”
I blinked, feeling something hot and bitter rise in my chest.
I reminded myself that this was how she handled things. Out with the old and in with the new. Like replacing a winter coat.
“Congratulations.”
This would be her fourth marriage in five years. That had to be a record, right?
“That’s all you have to say? Don’t you have any questions? Maybe seem a little more interested in your future stepfather.”
I didn’t trust myself to speak. Anything that came out of my mouth wouldn’t be nice. The only way to deal with her was either to cut her off or to appease her.
“As long as you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.”
I did want her to be happy. That’s what made this so complicated.
The truth was, ever since my dad passed away, she seemed to be searching for the love they had. It was as if she were constantly trying to fill the void he had left behind.
When she married Greg, I brushed it off as normal. She was lonely. People move on all the time after loss, right?
Then she married Peter, husband number two. He was nice, but he never measured up in her eyes.
And then husband number three was a widow too. Pat was still in love with his dead wife, which caused a lot of problems in their short time together.
I wasn’t sure what this new guy’s story was, but I had a feeling that the ending would be the same.
None of them would be my dad. And that was the problem.
“I am happy,” she finally said. “I was just hoping you would be a little more supportive.”
She hasn’t mentioned seeing anyone, so how serious could this be?
“It’s your life. You need to do what’s best for you. When’s the wedding?”
“I’ll send you the details once we finalize things. You’ll need to make yourself available.”
As much as I would have loved to hang up the phone and not have to deal with her, she was still my mother. The only parent I had left.
“I’ll do my best. Just give me enough advance notice.”
