know how to pack a bag?”
That one was fair , Valerie thought.
“Who is he anyway?” her mother asked. Good question.
Valerie scrubbed the cast iron pan harder and let her mind find the answer. “He’s a friend. Just a friend,” she said.
Her mother scoffed and chuckled. “Just a friend who you drove all night with then made googly eyes at at the breakfast table?”
A smile cracked on Valerie’s lips and she remembered how much she adored her mother’s teasing. “He’s a good friend I guess but it’s complicated.”
“Nothing’s too complicated when a man looks that good at six in the morning, Val,” her mom shot back, returning her attention to the sink with ease.
She had missed her so much and hardly even known it. Now back in the house, even with Russell, it felt like home again. She planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek and she turned back, pulling her into another tight embrace. She was silent but Valerie could feel what her mother was thinking.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," she sighed. Pulling back, she gave her a sweet look, tears in her eyes.
"Don't be. You’re stronger than all of us, kiddo.” She put a slender hand on Valerie’s cheek and Valerie saw the greatest amount of love in her eyes.
"Now, help me make up the guest room. Your father wasn't thrilled seeing a strange man walk out of his little girl's bedroom this morning," she said. Valerie laughed and followed her to the guest bedroom, which was directly across the hall from her room. She stopped off at the linen closet and started making the bed with her mother in comfortable silence.
Tucking the sheets under one side of the mattress, she caught her mother smiling at her. She tried to ignore it as she walked around the foot of the bed to pick up a corner of the dark blue floral bedspread to pull over the fresh sheets. Then she heard her snicker.
“What?” Valerie grumbled.
Her mother let out a tiny burst of a laugh and covered her mouth sheepishly. “Oh Val, don’t sound so grumpy.”
“Why are you giggling at me?”
She sighed and her giddy smile turned to a loving one as she stopped, hugging the pillow she held in her hands to her chest. “I’m just happy you’re home. And I’m happy to see you like this.”
Valerie straightened the pillows on her side, fidgeting with them. “Like what?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
The bed was made and they were standing on opposite sides of the room staring at each other. Her mother’s face softened and she brushed a stray strand of her dark blond hair out of her eyes.
“It's just the way you looked at him,” she said, smoothing down the front of her blouse with her hands.
"I'm not sure about him, Mom. Like I said, it’s complicated,” she replied, snappily.
Valerie watched her mother shake her head and laugh. "You never change." Her mouth twisted for a second before she sighed. "You've always tried to have it all figured out. Sometimes you just need to let life happen, Valerie."
Valerie’s eyes fixed on the pale beige carpet, listening to her mother’s words. She was right. She generally was. It seemed like life happened to Valerie regardless and when she tried to plan it, it always turned out wrong. She wasn't sure what it would feel like to just go with it. It seemed scary especially when it came to Russell.
"Mom,” Valerie started.
“I know, I know,” her mother said, her smile returning for a moment before she walked out.
***
The quick shower Valerie took was such a luxury. She thought the water couldn’t get hot enough to wash away the previous day. Russell’s voice sounded down hall while she dressed and dried her hair in her bedroom. When she finally turned back around to the door after shutting off the loud hair dryer, she jumped when she saw Russell waiting for her. He was dressed in her father’s clothes. He had no doubt picked the black shirt to go with the dark jeans. A hand ran through her fresh hair and she took a moment to stare before turning
That one was fair , Valerie thought.
“Who is he anyway?” her mother asked. Good question.
Valerie scrubbed the cast iron pan harder and let her mind find the answer. “He’s a friend. Just a friend,” she said.
Her mother scoffed and chuckled. “Just a friend who you drove all night with then made googly eyes at at the breakfast table?”
A smile cracked on Valerie’s lips and she remembered how much she adored her mother’s teasing. “He’s a good friend I guess but it’s complicated.”
“Nothing’s too complicated when a man looks that good at six in the morning, Val,” her mom shot back, returning her attention to the sink with ease.
She had missed her so much and hardly even known it. Now back in the house, even with Russell, it felt like home again. She planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek and she turned back, pulling her into another tight embrace. She was silent but Valerie could feel what her mother was thinking.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," she sighed. Pulling back, she gave her a sweet look, tears in her eyes.
"Don't be. You’re stronger than all of us, kiddo.” She put a slender hand on Valerie’s cheek and Valerie saw the greatest amount of love in her eyes.
"Now, help me make up the guest room. Your father wasn't thrilled seeing a strange man walk out of his little girl's bedroom this morning," she said. Valerie laughed and followed her to the guest bedroom, which was directly across the hall from her room. She stopped off at the linen closet and started making the bed with her mother in comfortable silence.
Tucking the sheets under one side of the mattress, she caught her mother smiling at her. She tried to ignore it as she walked around the foot of the bed to pick up a corner of the dark blue floral bedspread to pull over the fresh sheets. Then she heard her snicker.
“What?” Valerie grumbled.
Her mother let out a tiny burst of a laugh and covered her mouth sheepishly. “Oh Val, don’t sound so grumpy.”
“Why are you giggling at me?”
She sighed and her giddy smile turned to a loving one as she stopped, hugging the pillow she held in her hands to her chest. “I’m just happy you’re home. And I’m happy to see you like this.”
Valerie straightened the pillows on her side, fidgeting with them. “Like what?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
The bed was made and they were standing on opposite sides of the room staring at each other. Her mother’s face softened and she brushed a stray strand of her dark blond hair out of her eyes.
“It's just the way you looked at him,” she said, smoothing down the front of her blouse with her hands.
"I'm not sure about him, Mom. Like I said, it’s complicated,” she replied, snappily.
Valerie watched her mother shake her head and laugh. "You never change." Her mouth twisted for a second before she sighed. "You've always tried to have it all figured out. Sometimes you just need to let life happen, Valerie."
Valerie’s eyes fixed on the pale beige carpet, listening to her mother’s words. She was right. She generally was. It seemed like life happened to Valerie regardless and when she tried to plan it, it always turned out wrong. She wasn't sure what it would feel like to just go with it. It seemed scary especially when it came to Russell.
"Mom,” Valerie started.
“I know, I know,” her mother said, her smile returning for a moment before she walked out.
***
The quick shower Valerie took was such a luxury. She thought the water couldn’t get hot enough to wash away the previous day. Russell’s voice sounded down hall while she dressed and dried her hair in her bedroom. When she finally turned back around to the door after shutting off the loud hair dryer, she jumped when she saw Russell waiting for her. He was dressed in her father’s clothes. He had no doubt picked the black shirt to go with the dark jeans. A hand ran through her fresh hair and she took a moment to stare before turning
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