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Everything was changing, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
Silence fell between us, and it felt awkward, but I had no desire to do anything to fill the space. I just felt confused by the whole thing. When Mom excused herself to check on dinner and John offered to help, Talon asked, “Are you okay?”
“Not really.” I wasn’t sure I would be again. The one thing I could always count on, my mom, was suddenly doing unexpected things. I should have been happy for her, but it made me feel unsettled.
“You’re surprised that your mom has a boyfriend?” Talon was genuinely curious.
“I know it doesn’t make sense, but she’s never brought anyone home before.”
Talon frowned. “That doesn’t mean she hasn’t been dating.”
“I didn’t expect her to be single forever, but it’s still a surprise.” Especially for a holiday dinner. It must be serious. How had she kept this from me?
Talon squeezed my hand. “It wasn’t what you were expecting.”
“I thought it would be the three of us. Just like old times.” My voice fell to a whisper, my chest tightening.
“But things can’t stay the same. We grow and evolve. Our traditions look different. Just like when my dad died.”
“It’s always been the two of us. I feel like I need to mourn the loss of our little family before I can be happy for whatever this is.” I waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen, where we could hear drawers opening and closing. “I know I’m being ridiculous.”
“You just need some time to adjust.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Mom called from the kitchen.
I was determined to act like an adult about this situation and not pout about how I wanted my mother to myself. We sat at the table, passing around the food. When we ate, I asked, “Why don’t you tell us more about you, John? How did you two meet?”
Mom’s cheeks turned pink.
John nodded his head in her direction. “You tell it.”
“The toilet was making some weird noises and running all the time. I didn’t want to call the plumber. I thought I could fix it myself. John was working that day and helped me find the parts I needed.”
“That was nice of you.” Over the years, Mom felt intimidated by hardware stores and car repair shops. It was good she felt confident she could fix the toilet herself.
“He showed me what I needed and told me what to do. I was able to fix it myself.” Pride filled Mom’s voice.
We’d always hired contractors to fix whatever was wrong, since we weren’t particularly handy. So I could see why she’d feel good about something like that. “That’s great.”
“Then he’d stop by and help me with a few other things around the house. It was a natural progression.”
“That sounds sweet.” It sounded a little like a fairytale. She hadn’t met him on a dating app or through friends. It was an organic relationship.
“Your mom is very capable. I’ve been teaching her how to do a few things around the house, how to check her oil, and fill the air in her tires.”
“I’ve never felt so capable,” Mom said, her chest puffed out.
“That’s great, Mom.” There was something weird about Mom growing and changing, too. In my mind, she was supposed to stay the same, and our dinners would always be the two of us unless I got married. It was selfish. I needed to move past it.
“I’m glad you were there for her.” In a way I’d never been able to help her. Dad hadn’t been handy either. He was one of those guys who could charm other people into doing things for him. He’d never needed to do anything himself.
John rested his elbows on the table, considering me. “Your mom said it’s just been the two of you.”
“Yeah, ever since Dad left.”
John winced slightly when I said the word “Dad.” I wondered if it was weird to him that he was dating a woman with an adult child. Maybe he felt as awkward as I did.
“Talon makes beautiful light fixtures. He’s been featured in design and architectural magazines. Maybe you’ve heard of him,” Mom said.
