Page 137 of It's Not PMS, It's You
Other than the brief phone call with Nick and two other chats with Dee, I did absolutely nothing except read all day, with a break in the middle to take a nap in my new gazebo.
It was blissful.
I have to do it again soon.
How I was able to keep my mind off work was a wonder to me. It helped that I had started the day by doing Nick’s water-listening exercise by the fountain in the morning.
I had even told Dee to take two paid days off, since I didn’t think it was fair that I had the time off, but she didn’t.
Funny how she didn’t argue with me at all.
In fact, at this very moment she was headed to Dana Point to catch the ferry to Catalina Island to spend the day there with Brandon.
Today was just the opposite of yesterday for me because I had breakfast with my parents, and then dinner with Nick, his parents, and Lindsey.
“The bacon is done.” My mom used the tongs to pull the last few strips from the pan, placing them on the serving plate. “Ready with the coffee, honey?”
“All ready.” My dad poured the last of the three cups of coffee and placed them on the table with cream and sugar. “AndI’mready for some pancakes.”
“You’re in luck because they are ready to be eaten!” I scooped the last of the pancakes with the spatula onto the platter and placed it in the center of the kitchen table next to the butter and syrup. “Okay, let’s eat.” I rubbed my hands together, excited, and then took a piece of bacon from the plate and ate it with my fingers.
“This is all so wonderful.” My mom helped herself to pancakes and added the butter and syrup on top. “Just like old times.”
I nodded, finishing off my first piece of bacon and diving into the pancakes. “I agree. This feels good. I think we should make it a regular thing. Maybe once a month? What do you say?”
“Twice a month is fine with me.” My dad took a sip of his coffee. “Or once a week.”
My mom shook her head. “Honey, let’s not scare her away after we’ve gotten her back.”
I wagged my finger at them. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m back for good. I let Gary’s mentality take over my life and it won’t happen again. No matter what happens going forward, I’m going to make time for you on a regular basis.” I felt my eyes burn. “And I’m sorry.”
“You need to quit apologizing. Life is a learning process.” My dad grinned. “And I’ve learned thateverythinggets better when you have pancakes and bacon.”
We shared a laugh together and had a wonderful group hug.
As odd as it sounded, I was back.
My parents were amazing.
I had left and done my own thing with my career while they carried on with their lives, but there was no resentment on their part. They weren’t mad. They didn’t give me crap about it. It was like that break never existed. They had told me they were happy if I was happy, and that was the only thing that mattered.
After breakfast, Mom and I cleaned up.
Dad went to Home Depot to get light bulbs.
I was deep in thought, thinking about my mom’s life and how she gave up her career for me.
My mom leaned forward, trying to get a look at my face. “Everything okay, sweetie?”
I wiped down the top of the pancake grill. “I guess.”
“Something seems to be on your mind.”
I nodded. “Yeah . . . I was curious, actually.”
“What is it?”
I stopped wiping and turned to her. “Why did you give up on your dreams when I was born?”
