"Where are Ben and Lauren?" I ask.
"Oh! They're spending a couple days up at Lauren's family's place."
"Oh, ok. Cool," I reply.
After a little stretch of silence I struggle to find the right words for my next question.
"Are- Are you-? I mean- Lauren seems nice and all but, umm- Do you- uh..."
Mom laughs as she goes and pours the leftovers of the coffee into her mug.
"What I'm trying to say is, how do you feel about the fact that the first time you met Lauren was when Ben announced they were engaged?"
The early morning sun and the dim kitchen lights combine to catch the sparkle that dances in her eyes before she answers. With one last swallow from her coffee, she sets the mug down and says,
"Funny story, actually. Those two were best friends in middle school. Went to separate high schools, I thought that was the end of that but-" she lifts her shoulders and lets them drop- "they found each other in college and are getting married in nine months!"
My jaw drops to the center of the earth. "What??? No way! That's adorable!" I practically screech.
That childlike sparkle returns to her face and the playfully says, "I thought you might find it cute."
My body suddenly warms at that simple statement. Just the simple idea of Mrs. T once again feeling like Mom. The fact that she knows well enough to know I'm a sucker for a cute love story.
I shake my head to get out of my daze and my thoughts are suddenly all over the place. It's as if there's a going checklist of things I need to take care of and pray about or just... Worry about.
Lacy, Josie, Bridget- heck, I need to find out how Liam's taking all of this. I need to help plan a wedding in whatever way I can! I need to find out when they're holding Lily's funeral...
I try to focus on just Josie and her family for now.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Dear?" she asks, the bubbly spirit still so alive I hate to drench the mood.
"Can I talk to you about something? Something serious I- need your help with?"
Her face slowly falls and she pushes herself off from where she was leaning on the counter.
"Of course," she says, pulling out a couple of chairs from the dinner table.
The butterflies begin to bounce around in my stomach. So, I dive into the whole story about Aunt Cassie and her family, and my family before I get too nervous and talk myself out of it again.
By the time I'm done, those gosh darn tears that I feel like cursing out right now have once again escaped their prison and are running down my cheeks like a herd of buffalo.
Mom sits quietly for a while, taking in everything I told her. Then a single tear escapes her eye, and she pulls me into herself.
"Life's been nothing but nasty to you so far, hasn't it, Gen? Well, mark my words, that's gonna change."
Her words are touching and well meant. But I can't help but remember the gut wrenching fear for Lacy and have a hard time believingthat statement.
Chapter 25
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