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“Hey, Mom.”
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she said. “I just called to see how you were doing. You sounded so depressed this morning.”
“I’m okay,” I assured her.
“Have you been able to talk to her?”
“Not really,” I said. “She’s not completely shutting me down, but she’s certainly not inviting me for coffee anytime soon. I really screwed this thing up.”
“I don’t think you have to give up just yet,” she said. “You said she’s talking to you now?”
“I’m talking, she’s being polite,” I said, laughing. “I just don’t know how to make this right. I don’t know if it will ever be right.”
“You just need to talk to her,” she said.
“Mom, I have,” I said. “A couple of times. She doesn’t care. I’m starting to think the picture is an excuse. I don’t see how she can be that pissed about a kiss.”
“We’ve been over this,” she said. “Did you tell her how you feel?”
“No. When? She won’t give me the time of day. That’s not something I can just blurt out. If she would just give me a chance, I could explain. I could tell her how I feel. I could convince her I wasn’t seeing any other women.”
“You could and you should,” she said. “She’s still mad. In a way, that’s a good sign.”
I scoffed. “How in the hell is that a good sign?”
“Because it means she cares enough to be mad,” she replied. “If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t be mad. You hurt her. I told you that.”
“I know,” I said. The image of her at home with tear-stained cheeks and red puffy eyes was not something I was going to forget anytime soon. It had killed me to see her suffer. “I think that’s what I’m worried about. I know I hurt her. Hurt leave scars. How can I expect her to want anything to do with me if she’s carrying scars I left? Those are going to be her constant reminders of what I did. Although I still contend I didn’t actually do anything.”
“Why don’t you knock on her door and ask her to take a walk with you?” she suggested. “Be calm. Be nice. Most of all, be patient.”
I thought about it and then remembered the look on her face. I didn’t get the impression she wanted to be on the same ocean with me, much less join me for a walk along the deck. “She’d probably throw me over,” I said.
“Macy is not a violent person.”
“She’s pretty displeased with me, Mom,” I said, laughing.
“Oh, son, I wish I could fix this for you. I really do. Unfortunately, this is one of those things I can’t fix. Honestly, it might not be fixable. The human mind is a fickle thing. I think she cares about you, but I also know she carries around some baggage. I don’t know her whole story, but I know there is a reason she gives so much of her time to that shelter. There’s some childhood trauma there.”
“Abandoned,” I said.
“What?”
“Her father abandoned her when she was very little,” I said. “I’m sure she thinks I have or will abandon her. The whole thing the first time we met had a lot to do with that. She doesn’t trust easily. This is why I think I might have really screwed this up. She’s already untrusting, and that stupid picture confirmed her worst fear. I swear, if I would have known, I would have paid the guy a million bucks not to publish it.”
“I’ve seen Macy grow a lot these last few years,” she said. “She’s come out of her shell. She talks to those moms and kids like they are her best friends. She is an open, caring woman. Tap into that side. Find a way in and then you tell her how you feel. Make her believe you will never hurt her like that. She needs a little extra reassurance, but isn’t she worth it?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Son, you have three days with that woman trapped on a boat with you in the middle of the ocean. I think you can use your creative genius to find a way to make her listen to you. I don’t think it gets any easier than that.”
“I’m not giving up, but I have to walk a fine line,” I said. “If I push too hard, she could come after me for harassment. That’s about the last thing I need.”
“You’ve definitely gotten yourself into a pickle. But I know you and I know this isn’t the first bit of trouble you’ve been in. You know how to think fast on your feet.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. “I’ll try and call tomorrow. I’m not sure we’ll still have service. If not, I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Good luck,” she said. “Truly, I hope you can find a way to make this woman see just what a catch you are.”
