Stanley spoke up. “Mom, do you feel like Dad loves you too?”
“I guess he does,” Barbara said, “but he just assumes I’ll always be there, sort of like he assumes I’ll cook his next meal.”
“You’re saying he takes you for granted,” I said.
Barbara huffed out a groan. “I’m surprised he bothered to drive here. I guess he missed the breakfast I usually fix him.”
Stanley returned a troubled frown. “From what he said to me, I think he misses more than what you do for him.”
“Really? What did he tell you?” Barbara asked.
“I don’t want to speak for my father,” Stanley said, “but I do think you need to let him explain himself to you.”
“I’ll think about it,” Barbara said as she began walking down the sidewalk again. “But I’ve made up my mind. I won’t let my feelings for your father override my feelings for my own happiness.”
Stanley and I followed Barbara and quickly caught up with her. However, we didn’t comment on what she’d said. Still, I agreed with her. If she’d been sacrificing herself to keep her husband happy, that wasn’t a good foundation for their marriage.
When we got back to the house, Barbara’s phone sounded. She looked at it and straightened her shoulders before she answered it. “Hello, Stan,” she said. Then she looked at Stanley and me and let out a heavy breath.
Sixteen
FIRST OF ALL, it’s the holiday season, a season that’s supposed to be about peace and joy. Secondly, our soon-to-be-born baby needs to have grandparents who are getting along. Those are two good reasons for my mother and Stanley’s parents to get their acts together.
The night following our walk with Stanley’s mom, I told Stanley what I thought. As I lay in bed, with my back snuggled against him, I expected him to agree with me. Stanley didn’t sound as convinced as I thought he should be.
“Glory, of course I want everyone to be getting along,” he said, “but do you think we have a right to impose what we want on others?”
The correct answer was, “No, we don’t have that right.”
But I couldn’t force myself to say those words. And I had a valid reason for my attitude. I’ve been very good about mindingmy own business around Stanley’s parents and my mom. Being so passive went against my normal way of handling problems. When I was alone with Stanley, I needed to vent, and Stanley needed to let me speak my mind.
Fortunately, he knows me very well. After asking me a reasonable question, he became the wonderful listener and advisor I needed.
“Glory, I want the same thing you want,” he said as he held me close. “My wish is that peace is restored, and we’re all happy.”
Those were the words I wanted to hear. “Thanks,” I immediately replied, “because I find it very painful to think about our baby being born into a nest of hostility.”
“Again, I completely agree,” Stanley said.
I hesitated. “So tell me what to do to feel better.”
Stanley kissed the back of my neck. “You’re very wise, so you tell me more about how you see this situation,” he whispered.
I hesitated again. “Even if I have no right to interfere with another person’s wishes, that doesn’t mean I have to like their actions.”
Stanley nuzzled my ear and kissed it too. “It’s valid for you to feel however you want.”
Since I wasn’t facing Stanley, he didn’t see my frown, but I’m sure he heard my unhappiness when I replied. “Stanley, that doesn’t help. I don’t want to feel this way about my mom and your parents.”
Stanley gave me another gentle hug and pulled away. “I feel like getting up. How about you?”
I bristled. “What? You want to get up? I thought we were having a conversation.”
Stanley came around to my side of the bed and held out his hand. “Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll make us some cocoa. You can even put a stick of peppermint in yours and make it very festive.”
I took his hand and let him help me out of bed. “Cocoa? Peppermint? You know I’m trying to watch my sugar intake.”
“I know,” Stanley said as he handed me my robe. “However, sometimes it’s okay to bend the rules a little, right?”
