volunteerism and then founding a clinic to serve poor women's health needs in the scary inner city somewhere, nowhere near her expensive beachside condo. Much to her father's early chagrin, then once he realized the only way he'd see his wife would be to help; he'd jumped in with both feet. Now they both worked nearly as much as they once did, gratis.
"Okay." Sara suddenly had no words for what she needed to know. She bit her lip.
"What is it Sara?" Her mother had been her first example of getting right to the point. "Blake okay? I know he's having some trouble with Rob. And I hear you have a new boyfriend. How exciting!" Her mother did not sound excited. Sara sighed.
"If you hadn't married Daddy…" she began, and then started over. "I know you told me once there was another, different guy. Why…oh hell," She put a hand over her face.
Her mother stayed quiet. Sara felt herself getting aggravated by it. She pulled herself together. "Why did you stay with him mom? I mean, Jesus, he…I caught him, remember?"
"Honey, you can't equate the choices I made with anything you're going through right now. It's not fair to, well, to anyone."
"I know how you all feel about Jack." She let defensiveness creep into her tone and hated it.
"No, you don't. I'll admit that your dad doesn't like him and the reasons for that probably lie in some similarities in their personalities. But women who bitch and moan that their lives are ruined because they married their fathers are just making excuses, I think."
"But…why?"
"I love your father Sara. I always have. We have split up three times, that last time when he acted like such an idiot and you had to see it. We stayed apart nearly a year, remember?"
"Yeah. Hard to forget it, frankly."
"Exactly. Since you were only sixteen, I didn't feel a need to share with you or Blake how we had resolved it. I should have. That's my fault and probably set you both up for failure in relationships." Sara let a tear slip down her cheek at the sound of her mother's deep sigh from so many miles away.
"No, no, it's okay."
"No, it's not. Listen, you have to wrap your head around the fact that people are not perfect. No man is without his flaws. There is something very, very real that happens between two people. Blake has it with Rob. You, well, shit Sara, you want me just to come out and say it I will," Sara shook her head, even though no one could see her.
"No mom, I probably don't want you to but I think you are anyway." Her heart pounded in her chest and she held the phone in a death grip to her ear.
"Jack loves you honey. I know it. You know it. He's not perfect but…you are so unhappy when you aren't together."
"But he's, I mean, I'm ready to kill him half the time when we are together." She knew she sounded lame.
"So? And the other half?"
Sara slumped back in her seat. "This is not what I needed to hear today."
"Then why did you call me? You need a reality check Sara. Blake's been filling your ear with the bad and jeopardizing his own relationship by being over protective. I told him that. Now you need to hear something else for a change. Jack is not your father. You are not me. You two owe it to yourselves to at least talk, like adults, about…"
"No. Mom. I'm not. I can't. I have…"
"I know, I know. Blake thinks this other guy is perfect. Whatever. Please realize something though honey. You should never measure your success by what your friends and family think of you. Remember only you hold that ruler. If you want to be married, or not. A businesswoman, or not. That is your call and no one else's."
"But," Sara let a familiar anger at her mother's natural tendency to take over, to tell her things she didn't want to hear, surge through her.
"No buts. Get back together with Jack, or don't. But do not lay this at your father's feet. That's a cop out. You are too smart and strong for that. I won't allow it."
"Fine." She stood, needing something to do with her nervous energy.
"I gotta go
"Okay." Sara suddenly had no words for what she needed to know. She bit her lip.
"What is it Sara?" Her mother had been her first example of getting right to the point. "Blake okay? I know he's having some trouble with Rob. And I hear you have a new boyfriend. How exciting!" Her mother did not sound excited. Sara sighed.
"If you hadn't married Daddy…" she began, and then started over. "I know you told me once there was another, different guy. Why…oh hell," She put a hand over her face.
Her mother stayed quiet. Sara felt herself getting aggravated by it. She pulled herself together. "Why did you stay with him mom? I mean, Jesus, he…I caught him, remember?"
"Honey, you can't equate the choices I made with anything you're going through right now. It's not fair to, well, to anyone."
"I know how you all feel about Jack." She let defensiveness creep into her tone and hated it.
"No, you don't. I'll admit that your dad doesn't like him and the reasons for that probably lie in some similarities in their personalities. But women who bitch and moan that their lives are ruined because they married their fathers are just making excuses, I think."
"But…why?"
"I love your father Sara. I always have. We have split up three times, that last time when he acted like such an idiot and you had to see it. We stayed apart nearly a year, remember?"
"Yeah. Hard to forget it, frankly."
"Exactly. Since you were only sixteen, I didn't feel a need to share with you or Blake how we had resolved it. I should have. That's my fault and probably set you both up for failure in relationships." Sara let a tear slip down her cheek at the sound of her mother's deep sigh from so many miles away.
"No, no, it's okay."
"No, it's not. Listen, you have to wrap your head around the fact that people are not perfect. No man is without his flaws. There is something very, very real that happens between two people. Blake has it with Rob. You, well, shit Sara, you want me just to come out and say it I will," Sara shook her head, even though no one could see her.
"No mom, I probably don't want you to but I think you are anyway." Her heart pounded in her chest and she held the phone in a death grip to her ear.
"Jack loves you honey. I know it. You know it. He's not perfect but…you are so unhappy when you aren't together."
"But he's, I mean, I'm ready to kill him half the time when we are together." She knew she sounded lame.
"So? And the other half?"
Sara slumped back in her seat. "This is not what I needed to hear today."
"Then why did you call me? You need a reality check Sara. Blake's been filling your ear with the bad and jeopardizing his own relationship by being over protective. I told him that. Now you need to hear something else for a change. Jack is not your father. You are not me. You two owe it to yourselves to at least talk, like adults, about…"
"No. Mom. I'm not. I can't. I have…"
"I know, I know. Blake thinks this other guy is perfect. Whatever. Please realize something though honey. You should never measure your success by what your friends and family think of you. Remember only you hold that ruler. If you want to be married, or not. A businesswoman, or not. That is your call and no one else's."
"But," Sara let a familiar anger at her mother's natural tendency to take over, to tell her things she didn't want to hear, surge through her.
"No buts. Get back together with Jack, or don't. But do not lay this at your father's feet. That's a cop out. You are too smart and strong for that. I won't allow it."
"Fine." She stood, needing something to do with her nervous energy.
"I gotta go
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