“I don’t want to pry,” she lies through her teeth, “but we ask because we care. All we want is for you to be as happy as possible.”
Just now, I have a lot more sympathy for Reed’s extra-heavy scowl when his sister was trying to set him up the other day. He doesn’t want to be pushed into love any more than I do. He wants to make his own choices.
And he chooses blondes, apparently. I’ll file that away underInfo I Hope I Never Need to Know.
Mom goes on talking about the importance of being as pleasing as possible to attract men. Reminding me I can always tell my parents anything, no matter how personal. Wondering if I would even confide in them if I was seeing someone new? Don’t I trust them anymore?
It’s her usual relationship speech.Be sweet and unassuming. It’s unattractive to argue. Don’t disagree or he’ll think I’m a Negative Nelly.Funny how being a Positive Polly hasn’t helped me out the last six times, either.
Suddenly, a ball of white-and-gray fur lands on the arm of the couch. My heart leaps into my throat, surprise and joy singing through my veins. He’s still three feet away, but this is the best progress we’ve made so far. He’s practically in my lap.
Cuddles are back in my sights.
“Reed!”
I wasn’t even that loud, but my outburst sends him two feet in the air before he careens straight back up the stairs in a blur. Shoot. He’s probably under my bed again already. I bet I won’t see him for a week now.
“Reed?” Mom repeats. “You’re dating Reed?”
Double shoot. I don’t even know what she said last. “Oh, I didn’t mean?—”
“That’s wonderful news, darling! He’s a good man, even if he can be a little…”
“Crotchety,” my dad chimes in.
“No, that’s not it,“ I tell them.
Dad chuckles. “If you don’t think he’s crotchety, you must be perfect for him.”
“I mean, yes, he can be grumpy, but?—”
“We always liked him for you,” Mom says. “Didn’t we say that the last time we stopped in, Gary? Reed looked like he had a twinkle in his eye for you, Rosie.”
Somehow, I doubt Reed’s eyes have ever twinkled. Menaced, maybe. Definitely not twinkled, and definitely not for me.
“Mom, we’re not?—”
“I know, I know,” she barges on. “I won’t get ahead of myself. No browsing Mimi’s Bridal just for fun.”
“Wink wink,” Dad says.
My stomach curdles as I imagine my mother looking at wedding dresses the instant she thinks I’m dating someone. No pressure.
“But we’re so thrilled for you,” she continues. “This is just what we were hoping would happen. It will be easier for us to enjoy ourselves out here, knowing you’re not alone. That’s so much house for you to handle on your own.”
“I haven’t had any problems with the house I can’t handle.” Not really the point right now, but I am fully capable of being a homeowner.
“Now you’ve got Reed to help you.” She sighs as if she’s looking at a poster of him on her wall. “You’ll find a way to be perfect for him, I know it. As long as he treats you right and makes you happy, that’s all that matters to us.”
Her voice breaks on the last sentence. Is she crying?
My will to clear up this stupid misunderstanding abandons me alongside the air exhaling out of my lungs. I hate that they’re so worried about me they can’t seize every day of their retirement without offering me advice. If they thought I wasn’t wandering through this big old house by myself like a lonely ghost, maybe they wouldn’t feel they have to check in on me so often.
And maybe I wouldn’t feel quite so pitiful when they do call.
“Reed makes me super happy,” I blurt out.
I’m pretty sure, somewhere in the woods, Reed just shivered.
