30 Days to Love

Day 14: Family

For years, Shauna and her parents would spend Sunday mornings at the Farmers Market at 3rd Street and Fairfax. They would have crepes and fresh squeezed orange juice at the French Crepe Co. Her parents would load up on caffeine and Shauna would load up on sugar. Her favorite crepe was Nutella and strawberries - it still is. Afterward, they would walk around the market and buy fresh fruit, vegetables and a variety of meats from the vendor stands and her mom would make a Sunday dinner with all the fresh ingredients.

As soon as Shauna entered high school, the Sunday tradition became more of a monthly tradition and then a quarterly tradition until it stopped being a tradition at all.

Today, Shauna has asked her parents to meet her at the market for crepes and coffee. It's time she told them about her plans for moving to New York. She figures it's best to do it in a public setting so she can make a quick escape if need be. She really has no idea how her parents will react.

Shauna pulls into the parking lot and marvels at how busy it already is at 9 am. She shouldn't be surprised. Everyone needs their caffeine in the morning. It didn't take her long to become a coffee drinker herself. She and her mom would make their daily trip to Starbucks all the way up through high school. When she was really young, her mom would have a latte and she would have a hot chocolate. By high school, Shauna was drinking cappuccinos and eventually she would just drink shots of espresso.

It was during these trips to the coffee shop each morning that Shauna met her mom's best friend Michelle, a college classmate who never married and made it clear she never wanted kids. Michelle had an acerbic wit and never treated Shauna like a child, probably because she had no clue how to interact with one. Shauna loved everything about her, especially her short black hair that was in sharp contrast to Shauna's thick red mane.

Michelle was like a member of their family, especially when Shauna's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when Shauna was a senior in high school. Shauna noticed that Michelle would come over more and more often. She would help around the house and make meals. Shauna's mom was so grateful for her help. She brought laughter to their home during a very stressful time in their lives.

Shauna's not sure when the affair began between her father and Michelle. She doesn't really care to know the details. About two months after her mother went into remission, her father stopped the affair and confessed. He said he made a mistake and would never do it again. They told Shauna together and Shauna, who had held her father on a really high pedestal, resolved to never speak to her father again. She would never understand his betrayal. And forgiveness wasn't an option in her mind. That day, she packed up their drawings and hid them in her closet along with her love and respect for him.

As for Michelle, she would only see her one more time, the morning Michelle showed up at Starbucks to apologize. Shauna's mother wouldn't speak to Michelle. She grabbed Shauna and left without saying a word. They never returned to that Starbucks. And to this day, Shauna only speaks to her father whenever absolutely necessary.

Shauna parks her car at the Farmers Market and makes her way through the vendors to the French Crepe Co. Her parents are already there enjoying a French press of coffee. They stand when they see her.

"Good morning," Shauna says.

"Good morning sweetheart," her mother responds.

"Would you like some coffee? Or would you like an espresso?"

"I'll have an espresso."

"I'll get it. And I'll grab the menus," her father says. As he walks by Shauna, he reaches over and kisses her cheek. Shauna jumps back a little.

"Thanks Dad."

Shauna sits down with her mother. "It's a beautiful day."

"The weather has been gorgeous. Your father and I are planning to head to the beach after this. You're welcome to join us if you like."