AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom nods in understanding. “Everyone’s path is different, and ours hasn’t necessarily been the easiest one to navigate. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, Kitty. If you want to move into your own apartment first, then you can do that. But if you feel like this is the right time to move in with Miles, then that’s what you should do.”
“What about you, though? You’ll be in this big house all by yourself.” This is the part I’m having the hardest time with. “And Hattie just moved out, and now I’m dropping another potential move-out bomb on you.”
Mom covers my hand with hers. “Oh, honey, it’s not your responsibility to make sure I’m taken care of, and I realize that’s a role you’ve taken on for a lot of years.” She sighs. “After your dad passed, I felt . . . lost and broken. My heart was in pieces because my partner was gone, and it felt like my soul had been torn in half. And there you were, making sure dinner was on the table every night when I was struggling to keep it together. You made sure your sister got to school every day and that she didn’t forget her lunch.”
“We were all grieving, and it was hardest on you.”
She smiles gently. “You don’t need to make excuses for me. I wasn’t a very present mother for a couple years. And I know you went to a local college so you could make sure Hattie and I were taken care of. You’ve spent so much time putting your own life on hold to make sure our family was okay. In a lot of ways you became both mother and father. And I’ve struggled to find a way to step back into those shoes. But I can do that now, for you. You’ve sacrificed more than enough for this family, Kitty. If moving in with your boyfriend is what you want to do, then you should, without worrying about anything but how you’re going to feel about someone else’s dirty socks being mixed in with yours.”
“Will you be able to carry the house on your own?” The mortgage is paid off, but the cost of running a house on a single income might be more than is reasonable. I don’t want my mom to lose this tie to Dad, and I don’t want her to have to work more hours to make ends meet.
Mom nods. “I have things covered. And I have it on good authority that there’s a unit in Marie’s subdivision coming up for sale soon. I really love it there. With Hattie already in the city and you potentially moving in with Miles when you feel the time is right, it’s probably a good time for me to consider downsizing. This is a great house for a family, but you’re right that it’s a lot for one person.”
“Would you sell the house?” I’ve lived here my entire life. Every first took place inside these walls. And maybe that’s another reason I haven’t taken this step, because moving out would mean leaving behind so much of my history.
Mom taps her lip. “It’s a hard balance to strike, isn’t it, letting go of the things that hold so many important memories for us?” She takes my hands in hers. “For a long time, I needed the comfort of the memories, but I allowed them to take over. I see that now. And as much as I love this house and the memories we made here, they’re all tucked safely inside our hearts.” She squeezes my hands gently. “Sometimes, we have to let go of the past to make room for a brighter future.”
She pulls me in for a hug, and I feel her love like a balm to my heart. We’re all moving forward, leaving behind the hurts of the past so we can embrace what’s coming next.
After we shed a few tears, I usher my mom out the door, telling her to enjoy her night with Marie. Once she leaves, I plop down on the couch with my laptop. Prince Francis joins me, so I move the laptop to the neighboring cushion. Prince Francis kneads his sharp claws into my legs until I’m tenderized and curls into a ball in my lap. He’s wearing a sweatshirt that I’m pretty sure my mom made for him out of old baby clothes.
It’s awkward to check my social media when my computer is sitting next to me. I only do this every couple of days now, but I’m grateful that it no longer scares me the way it did after the meme situation. People still love to share their feelings, and they don’t always sugar-coat them, but I’ve learned to put what Miles calls my Lego armor on before I do that: a temporary shield that I can put on or take off when I need to. I remind myself that there are always going to be people who like to tear each other down, and when that happens, I’ll take a break and let someone who doesn’t have the same emotional connection to my audience deal with it. Sometimes an impartial observer is the best way to go.
