Page 103 of No More Heartbreakers

“Well, you know me,” she said. “I’m a big fan of love and marriage and keeping it close to the home front. But that being said, if you’re going to give up your career plans and your lifelong dreams to be with someone, you have to bereallysure he’s the right one.”

“Right. Like you were.”

There was an ominous silence on the phone.

“Kenley? What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing. Anyway—I’ve already done it.”

“What do you mean? Kenley, what’s—”

“I’ve got to go. Mark’s here. I can’t talk. I’ll call you later.” She hung up.

That hadn’t sounded good. Had something gone wrong between her and Mark? If she didn’t call me back by tonight, I was definitely calling her again to find out.

I put my phone on the charger and jumped at a sharp knock at the door.

Sugar.Was Aric here? I looked like hell, no doubt.

Running to the front door, I checked the peep hole. It was my mother. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or further alarmed.

I opened the door. “Hi.”

“Don’t ‘hi’ me.”

She stepped inside in a rush of sweet perfume and fresh fall air. “Oh—you’re still in your pajamas. Why didn’t you call me and tell me you were getting engaged? And I thought you were with that lovely Aric boy now? When did you get back together with Hale?”

“Oh, Momma,” I sighed and went to her, unable to resist the lure of soft maternal sympathy. “I’ve really messed things up.”

She wrapped me in a deep hug as I’d known she would. “Tell me all about it.”

And I did. Instead of worrying about what she might think or about disappointing her and Daddy, I told her the bald, long overdue truth, starting with how I’d gotten unintentionally engaged.

Then I told her what had led to it— the main anchor job offer at WPVG and more importantly, the inner struggle I’d been having when it came to Aric as well as my change in attitude lately about leaving home and trying again— in my career and in life.

She listened without interruption, and when I finished blubbering and blabbering, she got up from the sofa and took a few steps over to my kitchen to make two cups of tea.

“Did you know I almost moved to Hollywood when I was your age?” She glanced back at me over her shoulder.

“You did?”

“Yep. Had my bags packed and everything. I was a student at Columbus State at the time. Someone from a movie studio was visiting a relative in Columbus and was in the audience for the school’s production ofOur Town. I was Emily. He came up and spoke to me and my parents afterward and encouraged me to move to Los Angeles and look him up at the studio. Of course, I was over the moon and ready to get on a bus the next day. My parents were completely against it—they assumed he was a ‘dirty old man’ and forbade me to go. I never quite forgave them.”

Her tone was far away as she stirred honey into her cup.

“You never told me that story.”

“Well, as a mother, you don’t really want to advocate disobedience to your children. But I do wish I’d done it. Even without their support. I’ve always wondered what might have happened if I’d followed my dream.”

She handed me a cup and sat back down beside me on the couch with a soft smile.

“Not that I’m unhappy here. I have a great life. I love our community theater, and I have four amazing children. And I might not have ended up with your father if I’d moved away. I met him a month after the play closed. We got married six months later.”

“And you’re glad you married him? Even though he’s sort of… bossy?”

She laughed. “Your father controls me exactly as much as I let him. He’s only trying to take care of everyone, protect all of us, keep all his little chicks under his wing.”

“Sometimes it gets pretty stuffy under there.”

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