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When we arrived home, my mother helped me carry in the bags from the farmer's market. As we were putting away the vegetables and fruits, my phone buzzed with a message from Jack.
[Jack 2:33 PM]
Hey. Can we talk later?
I took a deep breath, trying to restart my heart before responding. Talk about putting things out to the universe and it responds.
[Maya 2:44 PM]
Yes, when?
[Jack 2:44 PM]
Later this afternoon when I drop Eli off?
[Maya 2:45 PM]
Sure. Come for dinner at my parents’ house and we’ll talk after.
Text bubbles popped up, and then Jack sent a gif that makes me laugh out loud. I ignored my mother’s perplexed look and texted back.
[Maya 2:46 PM]
I promise they’ll be on their best behavior. They’d like to see you again, too.
Jack agreed, and I felt more confident than I had in weeks.
With my mother's words ringing in my ears, I started to mentally prepare for the conversation that could change everything.
As the day dragged on, I found myself getting more and more nervous. I tried to keep myself busy, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that settled in my stomach.
We spent the rest of the afternoon cooking together, chopping vegetables, and seasoning meat. We laughed and talked, enjoying each other's company, and I heard all the recent news about my extended family.
As we prepared a large dinner, my parents updated me on the whereabouts of my cousins. We had all grown up together, and they were almost like siblings. Most of them were accomplished; either with profession, marriages, and/or children. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. I was the only one in the family who was still single, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with me. My body tensed up, and I felt a knot form in my stomach. I tried to hide my emotions, but I knew my parents could sense my unease. They tried to change the subject, and I knew that feeling jealous of someone else's success was kind of juvenile, but it was hard not to question my whole life and the path that I had taken.
I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the present moment. We were all together, everyone was healthy, and that was all that mattered. I helped my mom set the table while my dad tended to the food on the stove. The smell of roasting chicken filled the air, and my mouth watered in anticipation. Cooking with my parents was always one of my favorite things to do. It was a way for us to bond and forget about our worries for a while.
By the time six o'clock rolled around, I was a bundle of nerves. I took a deep breath and opened the door to find Jack standing on the other side, looking just as nervous as I felt, with Eli in hand.
"Hey," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Hello to you too. Please, come in.”
I stepped aside and Eli was the first to run in. He hugged me and ran toward his grandparents.
Jack, meanwhile, was sweating profusely. When I looked back, though, I understood why.
My father was staring daggers at him, an annoyed glint in his eyes.
I took him aside and called out over my shoulder for Jack to make himself comfortable in the living room while I talked to my father in the kitchen.
“Papa, come on. What was that?”
My father sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry. I’ll play nice, but I just thought about everything you had to go through in the hands of that man and I couldn’t control myself.”
I sighed and patted his hands, pulling him into a hug.
“I know. But I didn't tell him and so I wasn’t exactly kind to Jack, either. Remember? Also, don’t forget, this is all for Eli.”
