LOVE BY CHANCE
Chapter Six
That evening, Rose went to visit with Jack.
She was overtired, after not getting enough sleep the night before, and the
conversation with her mother was still on her mind.
Jack noticed. "What’s wrong, Rose?"
he asked, after she had responded to his attempts at conversation with a tired,
long-suffering expression.
Rose sighed, shaking her head to keep herself
awake. "My mother. That’s what’s wrong."
"What happened?"
"She called me--at five o’clock this
morning. After telling me not to talk to her in a rude tone of voice, she
started in on how bad you are, how wonderful Cal is, and how you’ve manipulated
me so that I’m an ungrateful daughter. Then she announced that she’s coming to
visit as soon as the peak season is over, which probably means September. I
told her that she wouldn’t be staying in my house, which made her even more
angry. Even without her in my house, I’m sure she’ll be scheming and
manipulating, trying to run my life. Why can’t she just leave me alone?"
Jack put his arms around her. Rose leaned
against him, resting her head wearily on his shoulder.
"Maybe because she’s disappointed with
the way her life turned out, and she wants to live vicariously through you. But
you’re not following her plans, so she has to scheme and manipulate to make
your life what she wants it to be."
Rose looked up at him. "I think you’re
right. You always could see people." She paused. "But if she
succeeded in her plans for me, I wouldn’t be happy, and I would wind up just
like her--bitter and unhappy, trying to manipulate my children’s lives so I
could live vicariously through them."
"Are you happy now?"
Rose nodded. "Mostly. I’ll admit that I
would be happier if Mother would let me live my own life, and accept things for
how they are, but other than that--yes, I’m content with life. I’ve got a good
job that I enjoy, a nice house to live in, you for a boyfriend..."
"I’m glad I’m included in your
definition of happy." Jack rubbed her shoulders.
"You know I love you. I’ve never been so
happy since we got back together." She put her arms around him.
"I love you, too, Rose." He pulled
her closer, kissing her gently. "Just keep standing up to her. Someday
she’ll learn that she can’t make you do what you don’t want to do."
"That won’t stop her from trying."
"What she needs is a life of her own, so
that she doesn’t keep interfering with yours. She’s not that old--how old is
she, her forties or so?"
"She’s forty-five."
"That’s not very old. She could live for
herself--and then she would have something to think about besides running your
life."
"I don’t know, Jack. I think she enjoys
trying to run my life." She sighed, putting her head back on his shoulder.
"You know, I feel kind of guilty talking about her like this. After all,
she is my mother, even if she does drive me crazy."
"I think she wants you to feel guilty
about rejecting her plans. Guilt is a powerful feeling. It can make you do all
sorts of things you wouldn’t otherwise do."
"I know. Mother knows it, too. That’s
why she does it."
"Of course, she might drive you crazy
even if she wasn’t trying to manipulate you. That’s what parents do. You’ll
probably drive your kids crazy someday, too."
"Not like Mother, I hope. I swear, if
there’s one thing that her manipulativeness has taught me, it’s to let people
go their own way. I don’t like being manipulated, and neither does anyone
else." She yawned widely. "I’m so tired."
Jack laughed softly. "I’m going to make
dinner. Why don’t you go take a nap until it’s ready? It’ll probably be an hour
or so. I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat."
Rose lifted her head and gave him a kiss.
"Thanks, Jack. What would I do without you?"
"Make your own dinner?" he
suggested, helping her to her feet.
"Ha ha." Rose yawned again,
interrupting Jack’s attempt to kiss her.
He laughed. "Go lay down for a while.
I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready. I’m making Cobb salad, by the way."
"It takes you an hour to make a
salad?"
"It does when I’m making it for
you."
Rose laughed. "I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too, Rose."