some prank happy teenager, or some psychotic clown-faced killer.
I could hear her breathing on the other end, somewhat annoyed, rough, and was convinced that she was about to hang up on me when she started talking. “What’s the matter, Grace? It’s very late. Is something the matter? Did something happen to James?”
I took a deep breath, sending out a silent prayer that I was doing the right thing, and started. “Janice, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened tonight. I-“
She cut me off. “Grace, did your dad tell you what happened? Look, Grace, what happened tonight wasn’t your fault. Your father and I, we-“
It was my turn for interrupting. I didn’t want her making up her mind before I had even had a chance to change it. “Janice, please. Let me finish. It’s taking a lot for me to do this, but it’s for a good reason, believe me.” I waited for her to say something but when all I heard was silence, I continued. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for what happened tonight. If I had been awake, I would have told you that I do want you to move in with my Dad, and start your new little family together.”
I surprised myself with how convincing that sounded, believing in those words myself. “You make my dad happy. He told me so himself twice today, told me how much you mean to him, and that’s not something that I take lightly. He wants you in his life. He needs you in his life, Janice.
“It was wrong of me to have gotten so upset this morning when he told me about the baby…and you moving in. I was angry and upset about my own problems, and I didn’t want to see how much he wants this, needs this because then I’d have to think about someone other than myself and I couldn’t not be that selfish. Not then. But things have changed, my eyes are open now and I see that I was wrong. You’re good for him, Janice. I’d be blind if I didn’t see that and admit that now, no matter how I feel.
“I’m asking you — no, begging you to not leave my Dad, Janice. He deserves to be happy. He deserves to be happy with you. I was being selfish about everything, and I’m very, very sorry about that. You have to stay, Janice. We both want you to stay.”
I could hear her fidgeting with the phone, as if she were trying to find something else to do to keep from having to respond to me. Finally, she spoke. “Grace, I’m supposed to drive up north tomorrow morning to sign my contract papers. It’s going to be very unprofessional of me to just not go.”
I felt my stomach hit the floor. She was still going? She was talking about professionalism when my father’s heart was at stake? She was…wait. “Janice…? Does this mean you’re staying?”
A small sigh reached my end of the phone. “I love your father, Grace. He makes me happy, too. I want a future with him — with the both of you. You’re a part of James…maybe the best part. The best part, he tells me. I cannot have him without you, and I wouldn’t want to. If you are sure about this, if this is what you want, then yes, I’m staying.”
I did a quick dance on the kitchen floor at that. There was no rhythm to it, but who needed that when you had just ensured your father’s happiness? I had been prepared for a battle; I didn’t expect it to be so easy. “Thank you, Janice, for doing this. It really means a lot to me.”
“Thank you, Grace. Thank you for doing this.”
She told me that she’d be here in the morning to tell Dad that she had changed her mind, and that we had talked — in that order — and then we hung up. I was feeling very good. That small act of kindness had changed my whole outlook. All of the events of today had changed my whole outlook.
After two weeks of doing nothing but crying, moping, and feeling sorry for
I could hear her breathing on the other end, somewhat annoyed, rough, and was convinced that she was about to hang up on me when she started talking. “What’s the matter, Grace? It’s very late. Is something the matter? Did something happen to James?”
I took a deep breath, sending out a silent prayer that I was doing the right thing, and started. “Janice, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened tonight. I-“
She cut me off. “Grace, did your dad tell you what happened? Look, Grace, what happened tonight wasn’t your fault. Your father and I, we-“
It was my turn for interrupting. I didn’t want her making up her mind before I had even had a chance to change it. “Janice, please. Let me finish. It’s taking a lot for me to do this, but it’s for a good reason, believe me.” I waited for her to say something but when all I heard was silence, I continued. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for what happened tonight. If I had been awake, I would have told you that I do want you to move in with my Dad, and start your new little family together.”
I surprised myself with how convincing that sounded, believing in those words myself. “You make my dad happy. He told me so himself twice today, told me how much you mean to him, and that’s not something that I take lightly. He wants you in his life. He needs you in his life, Janice.
“It was wrong of me to have gotten so upset this morning when he told me about the baby…and you moving in. I was angry and upset about my own problems, and I didn’t want to see how much he wants this, needs this because then I’d have to think about someone other than myself and I couldn’t not be that selfish. Not then. But things have changed, my eyes are open now and I see that I was wrong. You’re good for him, Janice. I’d be blind if I didn’t see that and admit that now, no matter how I feel.
“I’m asking you — no, begging you to not leave my Dad, Janice. He deserves to be happy. He deserves to be happy with you. I was being selfish about everything, and I’m very, very sorry about that. You have to stay, Janice. We both want you to stay.”
I could hear her fidgeting with the phone, as if she were trying to find something else to do to keep from having to respond to me. Finally, she spoke. “Grace, I’m supposed to drive up north tomorrow morning to sign my contract papers. It’s going to be very unprofessional of me to just not go.”
I felt my stomach hit the floor. She was still going? She was talking about professionalism when my father’s heart was at stake? She was…wait. “Janice…? Does this mean you’re staying?”
A small sigh reached my end of the phone. “I love your father, Grace. He makes me happy, too. I want a future with him — with the both of you. You’re a part of James…maybe the best part. The best part, he tells me. I cannot have him without you, and I wouldn’t want to. If you are sure about this, if this is what you want, then yes, I’m staying.”
I did a quick dance on the kitchen floor at that. There was no rhythm to it, but who needed that when you had just ensured your father’s happiness? I had been prepared for a battle; I didn’t expect it to be so easy. “Thank you, Janice, for doing this. It really means a lot to me.”
“Thank you, Grace. Thank you for doing this.”
She told me that she’d be here in the morning to tell Dad that she had changed her mind, and that we had talked — in that order — and then we hung up. I was feeling very good. That small act of kindness had changed my whole outlook. All of the events of today had changed my whole outlook.
After two weeks of doing nothing but crying, moping, and feeling sorry for
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