Page 7 of Thanks for the Friendship
I make a face. “Give me a few weeks.”
He laughs. “Oh, right. You probably need some time to regroup before you get back out there.”
“Definitely.”
“But I know you’ll be up and ready sooner rather than later,” he says, sliding his chair back to his desk.
I reach for my phone just in case any of my current clients are trying to get in touch with me. But of course the only messages are from Diane.
I read her latest text.
Sara’s looking forward to meeting you. Her boyfriend will be here too. Maybe he has a friend he could introduce you to.
I find it so interesting that as soon as you announce a change in relationship status, everyone has “a friend to introduce you to.” Especially when you don’t ask. The last thing I need right now is to be set up on a blind date.
Gabby isn’t in the office this morning, so I’m not surprised when I get a text from her about Theo’s party. For some reason she still feels the need to give me updates and run her ideas by me. I know she’s trying to be sensitive to my feelings, but it also makes me feel bad because she pays rent, so therefore it’s her house too. She should be able to have a party for her boyfriend without worrying about hurting my feelings.
I send her a quick response.That all sounds good. You don’t have to run every detail by me.
I’ve told her this so many times, but she still does it.
I don’t respond to Diane’s texts. I’m sure she’ll figure out what to do about the side dishes without my help. I’ll still show up at her housewarming party, and maybe after that her messages will taper off.
I continue with listing my properties when my phone rings. I’m surprised to see my mother’s number. I haven’t talked to my parents in a few weeks. They are currently enjoying life and traveling around the country with their best friends.
“Hello.”
“Am I catching you at a bad time?” she says. “How are your sales this month?”
I roll my eyes. That’s usually one of her first questions.
“Hello to you too, Mom. And I’ve had a pretty good month so far.”
My mother is very interested in my success, which I suppose is the way it’s supposed to be, right? I assume most mothers care that their children are doing well, and mine has always set the bar pretty high.
When I was a little girl, she put me in tons of pageants. At first I thought they were fun, but then over time I grew to hate them. Thankfully she didn’t force it once I told her how I felt.
“Ah, very good,” she says, pulling me out of my daydream. “Daddy and I will be in town next week. Are you available for dinner?”
Hmm … considering my new relationship status, I definitely have more time on my hands.
“I’ll make sure I am. Just let me know which day.”
“I will. We’re meeting with some of Daddy’s clients, but of course we need to see our baby girl.”
I continue working while my mother tells me about their travels. My parents have friends everywhere and probably a lifetime supply of hotel points and frequent flyer miles, so they are loving the retired and traveling life. They also own a condo for when they come home to Miami, so they don’t have to stay in our guest room. Not that they couldn’t, considering the house still belongs to them. And trust me, we’ve had worse houseguests. One of Reagan’s friends from Illinois stayed with us for a week, and it was an absolute nightmare.
“We look forward to seeing you soon. We have a lot to tell you.”
I stop typing on my laptop. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. All good things.”
Hmm … the last time my parents had a lot to tell me was when they broke the news that they wanted to put our house on the market.
“Oh, Crystal is calling. I’ll keep you posted on dinner.”
“Mom, who’s more important, your friend Crystal or your only daughter?” I ask sharply.
