Page 29 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
I’m wiping down the counters when Adam comes in from taking out the trash, the final chore in our post-family-visit cleanup.
“I think we survived,” he says, washing his hands at the kitchen sink.
I smile. “They seemed to enjoy Colorado.”
“They did. Dad can’t wait to tell his buddy Eric about all the fly-fishing spots there are here.” Adam dries his hands on a dish towel and leans against the counter, studying me. “You okay? You’ve been quiet since they left.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically, scrubbing harder at the countertops. “Just tired. It’s a lot, hosting family.”
Adam takes the cloth gently from my hand. “You’ve been wiping the same spot for five minutes. I think it’s clean. What’s really bothering you?”
I sigh, finally looking up at him. His dark eyes are concerned, the dimple in his left cheek appearing as he gives me a questioning half-smile.
“Did your mom like me?” The question bursts out of me, unplanned.
Adam blinks in surprise. “Of course she did. Why would you think otherwise?”
I push away from the stove and pace a small circle in our kitchen. “I don’t know. She was perfectly nice, but… there was something there, Adam. Like she was just going through the motions.”
“That’s just how Mom is,” Adam says, sounding puzzled. “She’s not the warmest person in the world, but she seemed to like you just fine.”
“She barely asked me any questions about myself.” I stop pacing and face him. “And she took over the whole kitchen after that first night. Said she knew better what kind of food your family likes to eat.”
Adam runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, she considers the kitchen to be kind of her domain. She doesn’t even let Lauren or Hailey help much.”
“It wasn’t just that.” I hesitate, not wanting to sound paranoid. “When I went shopping with her and your sisters,she kept pointing out things she thought I’d like, but they were all… I don’t know; they weren’t me at all. I got the feeling she really didn’t like any of the stuff I picked for myself.”
“Mom has strong opinions about fashion,” Adam says. “She does the same thing to Lauren and Hailey.”
I sink into a kitchen chair, suddenly tired. “Maybe I’m overreacting.”
Adam comes over and sits across from me, taking my hands in his. “Look, I know my mom can be a lot. She has her own way of doing things, her own ideas about what’s proper or right. But she was impressed with you.”
“She was?” This doesn’t match my perception at all.
“Yes.” Adam squeezes my hands. “She told me you were ‘lovely’ and that your cooking was ‘very nice.’”
“She did?” I ask, skepticism creeping into my voice.
“She did.” Adam nods. “And coming from her, that’s high praise.”
I want to believe him, but I can’t shake the memory of catching Paula watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite name, something that looked like disappointment.
“I guess I just wanted her to like me,” I admit. “I know how close your family is.”
“She does like you,” Adam insists. “They all do. Well, except maybe Hailey, but she doesn’t like anyone outside the family at first. She’ll warm up eventually.”
Hailey had been the most overtly cold, eyeing me like I was some curious specimen she couldn’t quite categorize. She was constantly on her phone, looking up only when she wanted to interject a snarky comment into whatever conversation was happening around her. And she complained about just about everything.
“I liked your dad,” I say, trying to focus on the positive. “He’s funny.”
Adam grins. “Yeah, Dad’s pretty great. And he was definitely impressed by your cooking.”
I enjoyed Gerald, with his loud laugh and his endless stories about teenage Adam’s misadventures. Unlike Paula, he asked me questions about my life, my family, my travels before settling in Colorado. He seemed genuinely interested in my answers.
“Lauren and Jake were nice too,” I add.
Lauren had been quiet but friendly, and Jake had gone out of his way to make me feel included, often explaining family jokes or references I wouldn’t understand. They felt like potential allies in the Kelley family.
