Page 33 of Carly's Heart

“Ugh. He’s so mad, he’ll never speak to me again.” She stood staring at her dresser for a few minutes. In the end, she put on the clothing she’d borrowed because it smelled like him. Fresh and woodsy. Snuggled back on the couch, tea in hand, she called her mom.

As soon as she answered, Carly burst into unexpected tears. “Mom, I need a hug,” she sobbed.

“Come visit, there’s lots of room.”

She cried harder.

Last year, her folks had gone to Vegas for the winter. Spring came and they purchased a home in a nearby Nevada town, claiming they’d had enough winter for one lifetime. They sold their house, her childhood home, in nearby Drayton Valley. The condo she’d rented, and eventually purchased, had plenty of room for when they came to visit.

She did have an older sister in the city, but they had nothing in common, and her brother was overseas. With her best friend on her honeymoon, Carly was alone.

“I can’t. I have to work.” She’d love to flee to her mother’s arms, but it wouldn’t solve anything. When she came home, her problems would still be here.

Her mom made soothing noises and asked her what was wrong. Slowly, with many stops to cry and blow her nose, she told the whole tale from the first meeting to last night’s final blowout.

“You’re saying you didn’t know he liked you? Are you blind?” her father chimed in. He had picked up the phone almost immediately after her mother answered.

“Hush, dear,” her mother chided. “That isn’t helping.”

Her dad went on anyway, “I saw it long before you divorced. Frankly, I was worried that he would become an issue in your marriage. Not that I don’t trust you, but if he started hanging around too much, trouble might start.”

“How did you see that? You only visited here for a few weeks, and we just had two barbecues with his family.”

“A father knows when a man has designs on his daughter. I debated warning him off, but your mother wouldn’t let me.”

“Ancient history, dear. It isn’t the time for all that. This is about our baby’s broken heart.”

She never really had a broken heart before. She’d slowly fallen out of love with Mike and hadn’t dated much before she met him. She hadn’t gone on a single date after their divorce. There was no great heartbreak in their breakup, aside from her pain at watching him succumb to alcoholism. Thank heaven he’d recovered. Ending their marriage had been painful. This ... this screwup with Birch was gut-wrenching and heart-crushing. A boulder of pain pressed on her chest stopping her heart and bringing endless tears.

“What do you think you should do?” her mom asked.

“Move? I hear Nevada’s nice this time of year.” The weak joke fell flat, and her mom made a tsking sound. “Fine. I’ll be nice to him when I see him.” She rubbed the necklace he’d given her between her fingers. Holy crap! He had loved her back then!

“Carly,” her mom said in that musical warning tone all mothers used. The one that meant she knew that you were being stubborn.

“Fine. I’ll apologize.”

“And?”

“Not punch him. Be nice to him? Tell him how I feel?” She finally threw out the idea her mom wanted.

“There’s my girl,” her parents chimed in unison.

“Now, dry your tears and go do something fun. Maybe spend that quilt store gift card I bought you for your birthday. Fabric shopping always cheers you up. Sew up a nice quilt for your next baby.”

Her mother never missed a chance to ask, however obliquely, for another grandchild. They never would have moved away from their granddaughter if it wasn’t for her father’s crippling arthritis which was exacerbated by the frigid Canadian winters.

“Mom,” this time it was Carly’s turn to use the chiding voice.

“Okay, fine. But listen to me. If you like this guy, take a risk. Find out where it’s going. Don’t pine away any longer. Take action. I nearly lost your father because I refused to chase him down. It’s a darn good thing he’s much more stubborn than I am.”

“Don’t listen to her. I chased her until she caught me.” Her father’s laughter boomed over the line, lightening her spirits.

“Okay. I’ll think about it all. I’ll decide if I want him or not. If I do, I’ll chase him down. I’ll video call you with Layla tomorrow night when she gets home from Mike’s. Love you both.”

They said their goodbyes and she decided that maybe some retail therapy was just what she needed. She’d buy some fabric and start a new quilt while she had a few hours to herself. Layla would be home around six. That gave her most of the day for self-soothing fabric manipulation.

In the end, she purchased fabric printed with cute cuddly baby animals. She’d make a baby quilt like her mom suggested, but it wouldn’t be for her.

---