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I was planning to meet up with my sisters today, for an unenviable task–confronting my mother.
She had been staying at the Hotel del Coronado, an expensive and luxurious resort, since my father had kicked her out last week. She had been calling all three of us nonstop, including my dad begging all of us to take her back and forgive her.
No one was quite convinced by her pleading. She offered up a lot of shallow excuses for what happened.
My dad wasn’t buying any of it. He made plans to golf on the holiday with his regular group of golf buddies, including Nathaniel. My sisters and I were annoyed with Mom’s excuses, but we decided to get together and visit her at the hotel and try to do the mature thing by talking with her as adults.
It was Christmas, after all.
Nathaniel walked outside with me when Melinda and Larissa arrived to pick me up.
“You call me if you need anything, OK? The golf game can wait. I’ll only be a phone call away. I don’t want your mother thinking she can bully you.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, wanting to ease his worries. “The three of us will stand our ground.” Walking to the driveway where my sisters waited, I squeezed his hand. “See you at the restaurant.” Nathaniel had made reservations at his private club for dinner, where steak and seafood was on the Christmas menu. He arranged for special accommodations to include extra guests–Melinda, Larissa, and my dad–and was treating everyone to a holiday dinner on the rooftop, complete with champagne, city lights… and sparkling cider for me.
We hugged and shared a kiss before I hopped into the car with my sisters and drove toward Coronado Island.
The drive was quiet since none of us had really been looking forward to this. All three of us were a bit on edge, hoping that this visit would somehow go well, despite the circumstances. My goal was to confront my mother, speak my piece, and set some boundaries. I wasn’t going to be pushed around or made to feel small by my mom anymore. She had crossed too many lines in the past–not only with me, but with Melinda and Larissa–and it was high time for her to make some changes or face the consequences.
We found her sunbathing by the pool, tanned legs slathered with oil, wearing a skimpy pink bikini, a floppy straw hat, and dark sunglasses. She was sipping on a large margarita… and surprise-surprise, she had a younger man lounging next to her. When she looked up from her chaise as we were walking up to her, she whispered something to the guy quickly, then pretended not to know him as he made his escape.
My sisters and I shared an exasperated look.How predictable.
“Hello, girls! Isn’t this great? A perfect day for working on my tan,” she said in an exaggerated, cheery tone. “Hey, waiter!” She called for one of the cabana boys, and a tall young man with sun-bleached hair came rushing over to take our drink order.
“I’ll have another margarita, and my daughters”–she gave the waiter a look, as if he was supposed to tell her she couldn’t possibly be our mother because she looked too young– “they need drinks, too.”
The man nodded politely, not taking my mother’s hint. Her expression soured.
“I’d like a daiquiri, please,” Melinda said politely.
Larissa glanced at the drink menu, then ordered. “Piña Colada for me, please.”
The waiter nodded and smiled, then looked at me. I was craving spicy food again, so I ordered something I wouldn’t usually drink. “I’ll take a virgin Bloody Mary, please. Extra spicy, if you don’t mind.”
“Coming right up.” The waiter walked briskly away and left the four of us alone.
I took a deep breath, hoping to stay strong and brave in the face of this confrontation. I needed to get things off my chest if for no other reason than to let it go for my own sake.
“Mom,” I said, summoning all my courage, “I’m angry with you for kissing my fiancé. I’d like an apology from you in order to move on.”
My mom scoffed. “It’s a holiday, Amelia,” she said in a condescending tone. “Let’s relax. We can chat about your little boyfriend later.”
I didn't correct her about him being my fiancé. It wasn’t worth it. She wanted to skirt the issue, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t expected true accountability from her anyway; I just needed to speak my mind.
“I have a lot to look forward to in my life,” I continued on, remaining steady and calm. “So, I’m going to have to limit the amount of time we spend together, especially after the baby comes, because I don’t believe I can trust you. Not unless you take actionable steps to change your ways.”
My mother barked out an acidic laugh as the waiter came back to deliver our drinks. “Oh, Amelia. You’re so dramatic. This is preposterous! Why are you attacking me? You have no idea what it has been like to be married to your father all these years. Absolutelymiserable. I deserve to have some fun, just like the rest of you!”
The waiter’s eyes went wide, but he corrected his expression before my mother could notice and hurried away with the empty drink tray.
I sipped my virgin Bloody Mary, trying not to lose my temper.
Larissa spoke up. “Mom, you’re allowed to have fun. No one is stopping you from enjoying your life. And we love you because you’re our mother. But cheating on Dad isn’t something we can just ignore. And having fun doesn’t include throwing yourself at your daughter’s fiancé.”
My mom’s face stayed frozen in an exaggerated expression of indignance.
“Yeah,” Melinda said, finding her courage, bolstered by Larissa’s boldness. “You broke our family, Mom. If you were unhappy, you should have asked for a divorce and walked away to find love somewhere else, instead of betraying the man who has worked his whole life to give you everything you could ever want.”
