it. And he really loves you! What are you doing?”
I was so upset and it didn’t even occur to me that this was good news for Lucas and me because I had not heard from him, and I guess I assumed things were over with us. My mom was throwing away a really great guy for my deadbeat of a father and, like when I was a little girl, it just didn’t make sense to me. He had a hold on her heart so tight he was never going to let it go. I hoped for her sake that my dad had really changed because she was royally screwing up a great thing if they didn’t work out.
“Kinsley, baby, you know how I feel about your father. I have never stopped loving him.”
“But Mom, he has put you through so much.”
“I know, but I believe that he has really changed this time.”
I shook my head at her. “I just don’t understand how this could happen. A week ago you were head over heels for Arty and you couldn’t wait to get married. I get back from Mexico and you seemed to have lost your mind!”
“Do not speak to me like that, Kinsley.” Her tone was firm and I knew I had crossed a line.
“Sorry. It’s just that Arty is so nice and such a catch and I just don’t know why you are throwing all of that away on a man who has never been there for you. Forget about the fact that he hasn’t been there for me; he has never come through for you. Why do you believe that this time is any different than any other time?”
She took a long deep breath and slowly raised her eyes to mine. “Because I just do. We have spent the past few days together and I can see that he is a changed man. He asked me to marry him, baby.”
I felt like I was in an alternate universe. My parents getting married after 23 years and umpteen wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends between them? It just didn’t seem real.
“What did Arty say when you called it off?”
“He was sad but he said he wanted me to be happy. Arty will be okay. He will have no problem finding someone else.”
I sat there in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. There was so much to process and with everything going on with Lucas, what was happening with my mom and dad was too much.
“So when are you two supposedly getting married?”
“He wants to fly to Vegas in a few weeks. I would love it if you came with us.”
A few weeks? It just seemed so weird and I didn’t want to burst her bubble and tell her that I didn’t think he would go through with it. My dad had never given her a reason to believe that he was a stand up guy, I didn’t know why she thought this time was any different. As much as I wanted to say that to her, I didn’t want to rain on her parade because she lit up like a Christmas tree when she talked about him.
“I don’t know mom, I have to think about it.”
“Okay, baby.”
“So I guess we’re stuck in Uptown for a while.”
Her face brightened up.
“No, your dad has a gorgeous house in Lakeview and he want us to move in with him. I have already moved a lot of my stuff over there while you were in Mexico, and movers are coming next weekend to move the rest of our stuff. That is another reason I needed to see you so soon. You need to pack your stuff.”
Once again, I looked at her in disbelief. She really was crazy. There was no way I was moving in with her and my dad. It would be way too weird. What, was I supposed to pretend that we were all one happy family? No way.
“Uh, no.” I crossed my arms. “I’m not doing that.”
“Kinsley, you have to do it. The lease is up on the apartment soon and you can’t stay there. We can’t afford for you to have your own apartment and I don’t want you living in Uptown by yourself.”
“I’ll figure something out but I’m not staying with you guys.”
“Honey, he has a big house with plenty of room. I
I was so upset and it didn’t even occur to me that this was good news for Lucas and me because I had not heard from him, and I guess I assumed things were over with us. My mom was throwing away a really great guy for my deadbeat of a father and, like when I was a little girl, it just didn’t make sense to me. He had a hold on her heart so tight he was never going to let it go. I hoped for her sake that my dad had really changed because she was royally screwing up a great thing if they didn’t work out.
“Kinsley, baby, you know how I feel about your father. I have never stopped loving him.”
“But Mom, he has put you through so much.”
“I know, but I believe that he has really changed this time.”
I shook my head at her. “I just don’t understand how this could happen. A week ago you were head over heels for Arty and you couldn’t wait to get married. I get back from Mexico and you seemed to have lost your mind!”
“Do not speak to me like that, Kinsley.” Her tone was firm and I knew I had crossed a line.
“Sorry. It’s just that Arty is so nice and such a catch and I just don’t know why you are throwing all of that away on a man who has never been there for you. Forget about the fact that he hasn’t been there for me; he has never come through for you. Why do you believe that this time is any different than any other time?”
She took a long deep breath and slowly raised her eyes to mine. “Because I just do. We have spent the past few days together and I can see that he is a changed man. He asked me to marry him, baby.”
I felt like I was in an alternate universe. My parents getting married after 23 years and umpteen wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends between them? It just didn’t seem real.
“What did Arty say when you called it off?”
“He was sad but he said he wanted me to be happy. Arty will be okay. He will have no problem finding someone else.”
I sat there in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. There was so much to process and with everything going on with Lucas, what was happening with my mom and dad was too much.
“So when are you two supposedly getting married?”
“He wants to fly to Vegas in a few weeks. I would love it if you came with us.”
A few weeks? It just seemed so weird and I didn’t want to burst her bubble and tell her that I didn’t think he would go through with it. My dad had never given her a reason to believe that he was a stand up guy, I didn’t know why she thought this time was any different. As much as I wanted to say that to her, I didn’t want to rain on her parade because she lit up like a Christmas tree when she talked about him.
“I don’t know mom, I have to think about it.”
“Okay, baby.”
“So I guess we’re stuck in Uptown for a while.”
Her face brightened up.
“No, your dad has a gorgeous house in Lakeview and he want us to move in with him. I have already moved a lot of my stuff over there while you were in Mexico, and movers are coming next weekend to move the rest of our stuff. That is another reason I needed to see you so soon. You need to pack your stuff.”
Once again, I looked at her in disbelief. She really was crazy. There was no way I was moving in with her and my dad. It would be way too weird. What, was I supposed to pretend that we were all one happy family? No way.
“Uh, no.” I crossed my arms. “I’m not doing that.”
“Kinsley, you have to do it. The lease is up on the apartment soon and you can’t stay there. We can’t afford for you to have your own apartment and I don’t want you living in Uptown by yourself.”
“I’ll figure something out but I’m not staying with you guys.”
“Honey, he has a big house with plenty of room. I
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