AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When my mom was about a week post-op and had already started her first cycle of chemotherapy, I flew back home to help out since Dad was going back to work. She still needed to take it easy because of the surgery and she was dealing with some side effects from the chemo. I was going to spend some time with her and keep an eye on her so she didn’t overdo it.
I walked in the door of my childhood home and the first thing I noticed, prominently displayed, was a gorgeous arrangement of fresh flowers. The Purple Prince tulips caught my eye because of their stunning color, a vibrant fuchsia on the outside of the petals with a darker royal purple on the inside. A mix of shorter hyacinths, my favorite spring flowers, surrounded the cluster of tulips in dark plums and pink shades. The mix of colors was divine, and the air was sweetly scented with the delicate blooms.
I walked right over to admire the arrangement. “Mom, these are gorgeous!”
“They are. They make me happy every time I see them.” She smiled at me. “They were from Scotty. He’s such a wonderful man.”
I kept my face neutral, containing the avalanche of emotions I felt on the inside. One of my goals while I was home was to tell my parents that Scotty and I had parted ways and end the charade and parade of lies. He wasn’t going to make it easy.
She picked up a piece of cardstock from the table and handed it to me. “This is the note he sent.”
Lara,
It was wonderful getting to know you and Jim at the spa this past weekend. Thank you for inviting me.
I hope these flowers will bolster your spirits while you are recovering from your surgery. Wishing you a speedy return to health and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Scotty
I set the card down. “How lovely.” I couldn’t help the fluttering feeling in my stomach at the thought of him doing something so sweet.
I shook off my thoughts of Scotty and focused on my mom. “Can I fix you a little snack? Dad said your appetite hasn’t been great.”
She slumped back on the couch. After she expended even the smallest amount of energy, like getting up to go to the bathroom, she had to sit down and rest for a while. “It’s the damn chemo. It’s given me some painful sores in my mouth and it’s making me nauseous.” She laughed and tried to lighten the mood. “I don’t have much of an appetite. At least it’ll be great for losing weight.”
My mouth twisted into a grimace. Her attempt at humor only served to make the atmosphere more tense. “Mom, don’t even joke. I’m going to make sure you eat some small, nutrient-packed meals. You have to keep your energy and your health up to fight this.”
She leaned her head back against the pillows and closed her eyes. “I know, honey. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. This morning, I noticed how my hair is already thinning. I’ll be bald in the next couple of weeks. I just can’t imagine.”
When my mom told me she didn’t want to go the wig route and that she’d just cover up her baldness with scarves, I went out and bought her about twenty of the most stylish headscarves that I could find. She’d been delighted with my gift, yet distraught at facing the reality of what was to come.
I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. “It’s not forever, Mom. Your hair will grow back.”
“First, I lost my breasts. Now, I’m going to lose my beautiful hair.” She sounded tired and weak. “I can’t even imagine what your father thinks when he looks at me. I won’t even feel like a woman anymore.”
My stomach sunk with how despondent she sounded. My throat clogged up and tears threatened to fall, but I was determined not to let my mother see me upset. “Dad didn’t fall in love with your hair or your breasts. None of that matters … to either of us. He fell in love with you. If this is what you have to go through to stay with us for a very long time, then we’ll help you every step of the way.”
“I know that, honey.” She rested her wrist across her forehead. “I’m just being a big baby. I’m just tired. Let me take a little nap and I’ll be fine.”
Later, after my dad came home, we all sat around the kitchen table to eat the meal I’d prepared. My mother had regained her spirits, or at least she was faking it for our benefit. I gently tried to coax her to eat more, but she mostly pushed the food around her plate, claiming she wasn’t that hungry.
Dad and I were doing our best to hold up the conversation and keep it positive. Inevitably, the subject came around to Scotty and I knew it was time to announce our breakup.
It turned out that my dad was still texting with Scotty. I assumed that Scotty was just being nice and keeping up the charade. He must have realized that I hadn’t told my parents yet. Even though I knew they’d both be disappointed, I had to tell them. Not the whole truth, but a convenient truth.
I took a deep breath and put down my fork. “Scotty and I broke up. We decided that things just weren’t going to work out between us.”
Both my parents looked shocked, but my mother was near tears at the news. “What? You two were perfect together. He’s such a wonderful young man! Surely you can work it out?”
I shook my head. “A relationship just isn’t in the cards for either of us right now. We both decided it was better if we just remained friends.”
My father cleared his throat. “That’s disappointing, Jellybean. I was hoping you’d finally found your someone special. But at least you’re handling it maturely.”
I forced a smile, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach that came with telling these little white lies.
My mother didn’t take the news as well. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and then stood. “I need to lie down for a while.”
I watched as my mother disappeared from the dining room, still wondering if I had made the right decision. Upsetting her right now was the last thing I wanted to do, but I couldn’t keep stringing her along under the illusion that Scotty was my boyfriend when it was far from the truth.
