Second Chance for Romance полностью

She laughed. “Welcome to the real world.”

“Can I go back to being a kid again? I swear I’ll be good and clean my room.”

“Sorry. Nice try, though.”

“Yeah, I know. I just never realized it would be so hard.”

“It always is when you want to be the best.”

“Well, at least I’m doing okay on that score. I’m in the top of my class. I want to be number one, but the competition is pretty stiff.”

“I have faith in you.”

“Yeah, thanks. Love you too. Anyway, I’m sure you didn’t call to hear me complain. So, what’s up?”

“Can’t I call just to see how you’re doing?”

“Sure, you can. But we’re a ‘no news is good news’ family. So if you call, something’s up.”

She laughed. “Guilty as charged. It’s about Thanksgiving.”

“I’m still planning to come home the night before. Do you need my room for visitors or something? I can sleep on the couch.”

“Um… no. We’ve had a change of plans. We won’t be there.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“Well, we’ve been in touch with some old friends from our Navy days.”

I heard something in her voice. “By ‘friends’ do you mean friend-friends or special-friends?”

“The latter.”

“Got it.”

“They’ve invited us to come to Hawaii for a week. They have a timeshare, so it has to be the week of Thanksgiving.”

“Wow. So it’s that kind of vacation.”

“It is. We’ve gotten together with them a couple of times to see if the interest is still there, and it is.”

“So now you’re going to spend a week in Hawaii with them? Good for you. Have fun.”

“Are you okay with it? I know it’s the first Thanksgiving we haven’t been together as a family. But since you’re a functioning adult, and Erin shows every sign of becoming one, we thought… Well,” she finished with a laugh,

“you know what we thought.”

“So you and Erin are getting along better since the wedding?”

“Night and day,” Mom said. “I think she realized that having a mother who looks out for her isn’t always a bad thing. And I realized that maybe she isn’t so immature after all. She was in a tough spot and handled herself well.

Maybe she shouldn’t’ve been in the spot in the first place, but I was young once too, believe it or not. I’ve done a few dumb things in my life and had to talk my way out of them. Erin did okay.”

“Wow. Maybe you’re growing up too,” I said, only half joking.

“Had to happen sooner or later.”

I laughed. I’d said the same thing to Gina.

“Anyway, are you okay with us going away for Thanksgiving? Erin is planning to spend it with Leah and the Coulters. Since you and Gina are getting along better, we thought…”

“Gina won’t be there,” I said. “She’ll be with her roommate, Regan.”

“Oh. Okay. I didn’t know. I guess I’ve been so busy with this Hawaii thing that I didn’t even think to ask. I just assumed…”

“You know what happens when you assume.”

“Right. So, now that I look like an ass…”

I laughed. “You don’t. It’s fine.”

“I’m sure Grandma and Grandpa would love to see you. Or Nana and Papa.”

“Maybe,” I said. “I mean, it’d be nice to see them, but I should probably stay here and work on my project. I still have to finish my model. My drawings too. And I need to type up all my handwritten notes in the computer. That’s on top of studying for finals in all my other classes. I hate to sound like a functioning adult, but…”

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“Jack doesn’t have my professors.”

“I understand. Are you sure you’re okay with us going away?”

“Yeah! Absolutely. I’m sure there are plenty of other people whose parents are abandoning them for a week of swinging in Hawaii. I can have

turkey and gravy with them.”

She laughed. “Let me know if you actually find anyone like that. We’ll want to meet their parents!”

“Ha! Listen to you. You sound like a teenager who just discovered sex.”

“More like rediscovered! We can travel for fun now. We’re looking forward to an empty nest. Not that we don’t love you and Erin, but…”

“You’ve made a lot of sacrifices because of us. I get it. And thanks, by the way. But yeah, that’s cool. Have fun. Gather ye rosebuds and all.”

“Do you know what poem that’s from?” she asked with a laugh.

“Crap! I don’t. Tell me, O English Major Mother.”

“It’s ‘To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.’”

It was my turn to laugh. “Okay, not entirely appropriate.”

“The sentiment is.”

“Fair enough.”

“So, while I have you, tell me what’s going on in your life.”

We talked for a while longer and then said goodbye. I was a little disappointed to miss Thanksgiving with my family, but I really did need the time to finish my project.

Besides, it’s just one weekend, I told myself, not some life-changing event.

Part of me worried that things would get weird between Christy and me, but they didn’t. We had a normal dinner with normal conversation and everything. Then she and Wren put their heads together and took their conversation upstairs to her studio. They absconded with the rest of the wine and left the dirty dishes to Trip and me.