An Autumn to Remember: A Novel (Elmtown Series Book 1) by Joy Galloway Page B
Authors: Joy Galloway
Ads: Link
you think I don’t have some studying to do as well? I’m just here wasting my time?”
Chelsea was boiling but she kept the lid on her emotions. She didn’t even look at him. Who does he think he is?
“If you’re gonna be this way the whole evening then I might as well just leave.”
“Maybe you should,” she found herself saying.
It was now 7:00 p.m. and Teresa made dinner for everyone. She asked John what he would like to have for dinner and went to the grocery store herself to buy some Chinnook salmon and all the other ingredients she needed to prepare the meal.
“I won't be able to wait for dinner anymore Teresa. I have a few things to do at home.” She was no longer Mrs Braithwaite–he started addressing her by her first name two weeks before when she insisted that he could. It was a little bit surprising to Chelsea because this was the same mother of hers who never allowed any of her boyfriends or any of her friends to refer to her by anything other than Mrs. Braithwaite but Teresa wanted her potential son-in law to be as comfortable with her as possible.
“Oh don’t even worry about it. It’s not such a big deal. We have enough mouths to deal with this. Besides there’ll be plenty more opportunities to have dinner with us,” Teresa said setting the plates on the dining table.
“Thank you Teresa, have a good evening.”
After John left Chelsea came down and sat at dinner with Teresa but Tyler was absent.
“Mom, where's Tyler?” she asked as she reached for the bowl of roasted potatoes and served herself a handful portion. Then she placed a serving of salmon beside it.
“He's playing basketball in the back.”
“And you let him? Shouldn't he be having dinner?”
“I'm not in the mood for arguments today. Let him do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't get in my way,” she said and then putting on a wide smile she asked, “So how are you and John?”
Chelsea threw her a weird look.
“What do you mean?” She knew the question was pregnant with something beneath the surface.
“I mean are things moving forward?”
“We are good. Still getting to know each other. What exactly are you asking Mom? I know you.” She pointed her fork at her Mom.
“Do you think he'll pop the question soon?“
Chelsea scoffed and said, “Mom, let’s just eat.”
“OK, OK I was just teasing. He looked flustered. I was wondering if you had a disagreement.”
“It’s nothing. We are fine. The fish is really good.”
“Thanks honey.”
“Mmm...no, thank you. John should have waited. This is soo good.”
“He said he had something important to do.”
“Oh really? I couldn’t tell with all that time he was spending on his phone,” Chelsea said rolling her eyes.
“Is everything OK? Come on, talk to me.“
As they ate, she told Teresa what happened.
“Sometimes he’s so nice but then beneath all that it’s almost like there’s an underlying self-centeredness. Like he expects everything to be about him. I would have said it was something that came from growing up as an only child but Jamie is an only child and he’s never like that. I guess when you combine being an only child with having parents who not only have the means to give you everything but actually do give you everything you want, it doesn’t bode well.” She shook her head.
“Why are you being so judgemental? We always gave you everything you wanted. You didn’t turn out badly.”
“Growing up as an upper-middle-class child is different from growing up the way he did Mom. His dad practically owns New York State. Huge difference but it’s not even about their level of wealth, I think it’s about how the parents go about things and to be honest I’m not sure they did a very good job. I’ve been putting up with a lot of things lately.”
“I just want you to
Chelsea was boiling but she kept the lid on her emotions. She didn’t even look at him. Who does he think he is?
“If you’re gonna be this way the whole evening then I might as well just leave.”
“Maybe you should,” she found herself saying.
It was now 7:00 p.m. and Teresa made dinner for everyone. She asked John what he would like to have for dinner and went to the grocery store herself to buy some Chinnook salmon and all the other ingredients she needed to prepare the meal.
“I won't be able to wait for dinner anymore Teresa. I have a few things to do at home.” She was no longer Mrs Braithwaite–he started addressing her by her first name two weeks before when she insisted that he could. It was a little bit surprising to Chelsea because this was the same mother of hers who never allowed any of her boyfriends or any of her friends to refer to her by anything other than Mrs. Braithwaite but Teresa wanted her potential son-in law to be as comfortable with her as possible.
“Oh don’t even worry about it. It’s not such a big deal. We have enough mouths to deal with this. Besides there’ll be plenty more opportunities to have dinner with us,” Teresa said setting the plates on the dining table.
“Thank you Teresa, have a good evening.”
After John left Chelsea came down and sat at dinner with Teresa but Tyler was absent.
“Mom, where's Tyler?” she asked as she reached for the bowl of roasted potatoes and served herself a handful portion. Then she placed a serving of salmon beside it.
“He's playing basketball in the back.”
“And you let him? Shouldn't he be having dinner?”
“I'm not in the mood for arguments today. Let him do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't get in my way,” she said and then putting on a wide smile she asked, “So how are you and John?”
Chelsea threw her a weird look.
“What do you mean?” She knew the question was pregnant with something beneath the surface.
“I mean are things moving forward?”
“We are good. Still getting to know each other. What exactly are you asking Mom? I know you.” She pointed her fork at her Mom.
“Do you think he'll pop the question soon?“
Chelsea scoffed and said, “Mom, let’s just eat.”
“OK, OK I was just teasing. He looked flustered. I was wondering if you had a disagreement.”
“It’s nothing. We are fine. The fish is really good.”
“Thanks honey.”
“Mmm...no, thank you. John should have waited. This is soo good.”
“He said he had something important to do.”
“Oh really? I couldn’t tell with all that time he was spending on his phone,” Chelsea said rolling her eyes.
“Is everything OK? Come on, talk to me.“
As they ate, she told Teresa what happened.
“Sometimes he’s so nice but then beneath all that it’s almost like there’s an underlying self-centeredness. Like he expects everything to be about him. I would have said it was something that came from growing up as an only child but Jamie is an only child and he’s never like that. I guess when you combine being an only child with having parents who not only have the means to give you everything but actually do give you everything you want, it doesn’t bode well.” She shook her head.
“Why are you being so judgemental? We always gave you everything you wanted. You didn’t turn out badly.”
“Growing up as an upper-middle-class child is different from growing up the way he did Mom. His dad practically owns New York State. Huge difference but it’s not even about their level of wealth, I think it’s about how the parents go about things and to be honest I’m not sure they did a very good job. I’ve been putting up with a lot of things lately.”
“I just want you to
Similar Books
