"Hi Mom," Arabella said, raising her eyebrows in surprise at the out-of-the-blue call. She didn't talk to her mother much these days. "How are you?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light.
"You sound weird."
"I am weird."
"What is it? Come clean."
"I showered."
"Arabella . . ."
"Wait, I've got something stuck in my teeth. What's up?"
"Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Sure, I'm fine, Mom. Just a little stressed with work."
"Oh. Well, I just wanted to give you a call before Joe and I leave for our cruise." She didn't sound convinced but thankfully let the matter rest.
Arabella forced the gooey so-called peanut butter from her teeth with her tongue and smiled. "Oh, right, I forgot that you leave tomorrow. The trip came up fast. Are you packed?"
///
"You know me. Of course not. Joe, on the other hand, has been packed since the day we booked the trip."
"That's Joe for ya." Arabella laughed. Her mother and Joe were opposites, but the two complemented each other in a way that her mother and father had not. It wasn't until after their divorce that Arabella had found out her parents' arguments had stemmed from her father cheating. The infidelity had been difficult for Arabella to forgive, but her mother insisted that they simply weren't meant for each other and had stayed together for her sake. Arabella didn't have the heart to tell her mother that she wished she had saved them all the angst and had divorced early on, but instead, she thanked her mother for her sacrifice. Another odd twist was that after the divorce her parents were finally on friendly terms. "We were both at fault," her mother had explained, and Arabella respected her parents for making peace, but she'd vowed that she would never tolerate cheating nor would she stay in a relationship for the "sake of the children."
"So, how are things, sweetie?"
"Oh, fine," Arabella replied in an airy tone. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin her mother's dream vacation with anything negative.
"That's so good to hear. You work so hard! I'm proud of you."
Arabella blinked away hot moisture stinging her eyes, wishing she could pour out her troubles to her mother. "Thanks, Mom."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
No! "Yes, just, you know, like I said, working." Stretched to the limit. Full of anxiety.
"Well, I know it's really early to ask, but do you think you could break away from business and come to Cincinnati for the Christmas holidays?"
"Early? Mom, it's August."
"Right, so time to plan ahead."
Arabella felt a pang of guilt. "I don't know. . . ."
"No pressure. I just miss you."
"I miss you too, Mom."
"Are you seeing anyone special?" her mother asked with such longing that Arabella almost wanted to fib.
"I'm afraid not," Arabella replied, knowing how much her mother longed for a grandchild.
"Maybe California isn't the place for a nice Midwestern girl like you. Ever think of moving back home? We could use a Hip, Hop, Health in Cincinnati. You can run your business from here, couldn't you?"
"Oh, Mom . . ." Arabella said. Her parents tried hard to make up for the early years from hell. "I'll look at my calendar and see when I can come for a visit."
"That's all I can ask for," her mother said, but then paused.
"Mom? Is there something else you wanted to tell me?"
"Well, it isn't really my place to tell you. . . ."
"Mom! You can't say that and then not explain." Arabella looked around for the stress ball, certain she was going to need it.
"Your father is getting married again."
"I know. Cynthia seems . . . okay, I guess. I only met her a couple of times."
"Well, I thought you might want to know that your father is planning to sell Granny York's house sometime soon."
"Oh." Arabella's stomach dropped unpleasantly, like she was going over the crest of a roller coaster.
"I'm sure he plans to call you, but just in case he doesn't, I wanted you to know. I thought you might be interested in buying it. Believe me, I know how much that house means to you."
Arabella thought of the little brick house with the big front porch and the tiny backyard. "Wow." She felt an ache settle in her chest. "Why is he selling?" Arabella had vowed to keep Granny's house in the family.
"Apparently, Cindy doesn't like it and wants to move out into the suburbs rather than stay in the little house in town."