Post by sweetdreams on Mar 5, 2014 23:13:21 GMT
Sorry, this ones a bit long...
Grandmas House
I looked behind me at my son in his car seat. There was a grin plastered on his face, and he was bouncing up and down so vigorously that I thought he was shaking the car. I couldn't help but smile with him.
This will be the first time he's ever been to his grandmothers house, and after all the stories I've told about her in the four years of his life, he couldn't wait to meet her.
We've been planning this for a while, my husband Reid and I. We were going on a second honeymoon together tomorrow, and we needed a place for Aaron to stay for the weekend.
What better place than grandmas house?
We were almost there. After six hours of driving and constant "Are we there yet?"'s, we pulled into my mothers driveway.
We spoke on the phone earlier and got everything sorted out. We would drive Aaron here, and then leave for the closest airport soon after we said our goodbyes. My mother told me all the things they had planned for the weekend. They were going to go to the amusement park in the city, possibly go to a movie, go out to dinner. She was almost as excited as he was. I'm sure they'll have a great time.
I felt the familiar, nippy air as I opened the car door, remembering the chilly nights we spent here, drinking hot tea and sitting by the fire. And I smiled. I'm home. Even the wind brings back memories. But the house looked worn down and neglected. Messier than I remembered. The garden that she tended to daily in my youth was dead and dry. The lawn wasn't cut. There was debris everywhere.
Perhaps she was too old to care for the house anymore. Even though that seemed unlikely for my mother. She's a very active and lively woman.
Brushing off that thought I closed the car door and walked around to Aaron's, unbuckling his seatbelt and lifting him out of his seat. He wrapped his arms around my neck and held on tightly, weighing my head down. I chuckled under my breath at his nervousness. I couldn't imagine anyone being nervous to meet my mother. Even though she can be timid and quiet, she is the most kindhearted, happy person I've encountered in my life.
But of course, he wouldn't know that. Not yet anyways.
I looked up to see my mother. Smiling and standing at the top of her front steps. Unlike her house, she looked better than ever. Her hair was pinned up in a bun, and she was wearing the same cocktail dress that she wore to my wedding four years ago. There was a look in her eyes that I almost couldn't pinpoint. I've never seen her look this way. She seemed truly confident.
Though the reason why, I'm not sure. But that didn't matter.
I ran up to her with Aaron in my arms and gave her a hug. She hugged me back and walked behind me to look at his face, which was hiding in between my neck and my shoulder.
"Hello there, sweetheart!" She cooed, with her warm familiar smile.
He took one look at her, and screamed.
In shock I jumped back, my ears ringing. He looked terrified.
"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked cautiously.
He didn't answer. He just stared at my mother with fear in his eyes. ... I didn't understand.
I took him inside and set him on the couch with his backpack of toys and clothes before saying goodbye. I kissed him on the forehead and held his face in my hands, looking into his eyes. They were blank, starring straight ahead.
"... I love you, honey. Mommy and Daddy will be back in a few days. You're going to have so much fun here at grandmas, I'm jealous!" I said in my happiest tone, trying to comfort him.
"That's not grandma." He said quietly. Almost too quiet for me to hear.
My mother gave me a worried glance as I walked out the door. I hope that she'll look after him. And find out what's wrong with him. She was always good at making people feel comfortable enough to open up to her. I said goodbye and got in the car as Reid was coming out of the house, car keys in hand.
Two Days Later.
Barely able to keep his eyes open, Aaron and I walked to the car. Which was strange, it was only about noon.
I buckled his seat belt after he crawled into his car seat and kissed his forehead. Poor baby, he was exhausted. I bet he had a lot of fun while we were gone. Reid started the car and began to pull out of the driveway.
"So what all did you guys do while we were gone?" I asked, turning around to face him. "I want to hear all about it!"
He yawned. I thought we wasn't going to speak at first, but he eventually did.
"We went to the park and we went to Olive Garden. And we watched some movies too." He said groggily. "I didn't see grandma though." He added.
He didn't see grandma? What was that supposed to mean...? Confused, I glanced at Reid, he was staring back at me with the same puzzled look on his face.
"What do you mean, you didn't see grandma...?" He said hesitantly.
"Well, grandpa said she was going to sleep for a while and that I can't talk to her. He made her wake up to say hi to you but then he made her go back to bed. He took me to the park and watched movies with me instead. It was so fun daddy, can I go back soon?" He seemed genuinely excited about returning.
My face drained of color. And my breathing faltered.
"Turn around." I told Reid.
Without hesitating, he turned the car around and flew back down the road.
"What's wrong mommy?" Aaron asked.
Debating whether or not to tell him, I hesitated. But I needed to. He needed to know.
"... Honey, you don't have a grandpa."
Grandmas House
I looked behind me at my son in his car seat. There was a grin plastered on his face, and he was bouncing up and down so vigorously that I thought he was shaking the car. I couldn't help but smile with him.
This will be the first time he's ever been to his grandmothers house, and after all the stories I've told about her in the four years of his life, he couldn't wait to meet her.
We've been planning this for a while, my husband Reid and I. We were going on a second honeymoon together tomorrow, and we needed a place for Aaron to stay for the weekend.
What better place than grandmas house?
We were almost there. After six hours of driving and constant "Are we there yet?"'s, we pulled into my mothers driveway.
We spoke on the phone earlier and got everything sorted out. We would drive Aaron here, and then leave for the closest airport soon after we said our goodbyes. My mother told me all the things they had planned for the weekend. They were going to go to the amusement park in the city, possibly go to a movie, go out to dinner. She was almost as excited as he was. I'm sure they'll have a great time.
I felt the familiar, nippy air as I opened the car door, remembering the chilly nights we spent here, drinking hot tea and sitting by the fire. And I smiled. I'm home. Even the wind brings back memories. But the house looked worn down and neglected. Messier than I remembered. The garden that she tended to daily in my youth was dead and dry. The lawn wasn't cut. There was debris everywhere.
Perhaps she was too old to care for the house anymore. Even though that seemed unlikely for my mother. She's a very active and lively woman.
Brushing off that thought I closed the car door and walked around to Aaron's, unbuckling his seatbelt and lifting him out of his seat. He wrapped his arms around my neck and held on tightly, weighing my head down. I chuckled under my breath at his nervousness. I couldn't imagine anyone being nervous to meet my mother. Even though she can be timid and quiet, she is the most kindhearted, happy person I've encountered in my life.
But of course, he wouldn't know that. Not yet anyways.
I looked up to see my mother. Smiling and standing at the top of her front steps. Unlike her house, she looked better than ever. Her hair was pinned up in a bun, and she was wearing the same cocktail dress that she wore to my wedding four years ago. There was a look in her eyes that I almost couldn't pinpoint. I've never seen her look this way. She seemed truly confident.
Though the reason why, I'm not sure. But that didn't matter.
I ran up to her with Aaron in my arms and gave her a hug. She hugged me back and walked behind me to look at his face, which was hiding in between my neck and my shoulder.
"Hello there, sweetheart!" She cooed, with her warm familiar smile.
He took one look at her, and screamed.
In shock I jumped back, my ears ringing. He looked terrified.
"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked cautiously.
He didn't answer. He just stared at my mother with fear in his eyes. ... I didn't understand.
I took him inside and set him on the couch with his backpack of toys and clothes before saying goodbye. I kissed him on the forehead and held his face in my hands, looking into his eyes. They were blank, starring straight ahead.
"... I love you, honey. Mommy and Daddy will be back in a few days. You're going to have so much fun here at grandmas, I'm jealous!" I said in my happiest tone, trying to comfort him.
"That's not grandma." He said quietly. Almost too quiet for me to hear.
My mother gave me a worried glance as I walked out the door. I hope that she'll look after him. And find out what's wrong with him. She was always good at making people feel comfortable enough to open up to her. I said goodbye and got in the car as Reid was coming out of the house, car keys in hand.
Two Days Later.
Barely able to keep his eyes open, Aaron and I walked to the car. Which was strange, it was only about noon.
I buckled his seat belt after he crawled into his car seat and kissed his forehead. Poor baby, he was exhausted. I bet he had a lot of fun while we were gone. Reid started the car and began to pull out of the driveway.
"So what all did you guys do while we were gone?" I asked, turning around to face him. "I want to hear all about it!"
He yawned. I thought we wasn't going to speak at first, but he eventually did.
"We went to the park and we went to Olive Garden. And we watched some movies too." He said groggily. "I didn't see grandma though." He added.
He didn't see grandma? What was that supposed to mean...? Confused, I glanced at Reid, he was staring back at me with the same puzzled look on his face.
"What do you mean, you didn't see grandma...?" He said hesitantly.
"Well, grandpa said she was going to sleep for a while and that I can't talk to her. He made her wake up to say hi to you but then he made her go back to bed. He took me to the park and watched movies with me instead. It was so fun daddy, can I go back soon?" He seemed genuinely excited about returning.
My face drained of color. And my breathing faltered.
"Turn around." I told Reid.
Without hesitating, he turned the car around and flew back down the road.
"What's wrong mommy?" Aaron asked.
Debating whether or not to tell him, I hesitated. But I needed to. He needed to know.
"... Honey, you don't have a grandpa."