I was busy at work, which made the day go fast. I couldn’t believe David was leaving the next day. Having him and Tory home at the same time made the house feel more like a home. That night we ordered Chinese.
“I’ll always remember Thursday nights,” David said. “That was Chinese takeout night, and you’d stop on your way home from work to pick it up.”
I laughed. “Yeah, and I never did learn how to eat with chopsticks.”
“It’s on your list,” Tory said.
“What did you say?”
Tory bit her lip. “Ah, nothing.”
I shook my finger. “No, you said it was on my list. Did you read my list?”
Tory sighed. “It was on the table and I didn’t know what it was. I picked it up and might’ve seen some things.”
“Some things?”
“Okay, lots of things. I read the list, all right?”
“Hey,” David said. “No fair. I didn’t get to read the list.”
“Tory wasn’t supposed to read it.”
Tory glared at David. “It was an accident.”
“Sure,” David replied.
Tory put her hands on her hips. “It was.”
“Enough you two. I suppose it’s no big deal. It’s not like there was anything super-secret on the list.”
“Well, there was ‘Go skinny-dipping with Jake.’ Who’s Jake anyway, Mom?”
“Tory Elizabeth!”
“Mom, you’re in a non-judge zone here. You were seventeen. I thought it was cute.”
I looked at her. “Cute?”
“Yeah, I mean reading all of the things you wanted to accomplish when you were seventeen actually made me think about my hopes and dreams. It reminded me never to lose sight of them. I feel bad that so many of yours didn’t come true.”
“Tor!” David shouted.
Tory waved her hand. “That came out wrong. What I meant to say is that you had us and there were things on that list you might’ve accomplished if you wouldn’t have.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t trade the two of you for anything. You guys are the best things that ever happened to me. And even though it didn’t work out with your father, I do have him to thank. So, while not all of my dreams have come true, the most important ones have. And besides, I’m working to change that. I’m training for a marathon. Shonna and I are planning a road trip. David and I danced in the rain the other night.”
“Dancing in the rain was on the list?” David asked.
I nodded.
“No fair,” Tory said. “I didn’t get to dance in the rain with you.”
David stared at her. “Well, I didn’t get to read the list, so we’re even.”
I left to get the list and could hear David scolding Tory for making me feel bad. When I returned, they were still arguing about it.
“Stop fighting you two or I won’t get Chinese tonight.” Suddenly I felt as if I’d been thrown a dozen years back in time, threatening them for fighting. I handed David the list.
He held up his hand. “No, I don’t want to read it if you don’t want me to.”
“I want you to. Besides, maybe it’ll be good for you to know what’s on the list so you might better understand some of the decisions I’m making. I know you guys aren’t crazy about me selling this house and moving into the city. And, if you know what’s on the list, you can help me stick to it.”
David looked up after reading the list. “I want to make a list. I think it’d be good to look at from time to time as a reminder of my goals.”
Tory, never to be outdone by David, chimed in. “Me, too! Let’s make them together.”
I left to pick up the Chinese while Tory and David made their lists. When I returned, I didn’t ask to see them and they didn’t offer to share. Tory had set the table and David had rounded up three sets of chopsticks he’d found in the junk drawer.
Just like we used to do, I put all of the containers in the middle of the table so we could easily share. There was chicken and broccoli, General Tso’s chicken, chow mein, fried rice, moo goo gai pan and, of course, fortune cookies.
David stood behind me, placing the chopsticks in my hand while Tory demonstrated.
“Put the first chopstick between your middle finger and the base of your thumb, Mom,” David said.
I watched Tory do it first then picked up the stick and tried it myself. David adjusted the chopstick slightly, pushing it down so it was at the base of my thumb.
“It’s like holding a pen,” he said, “only a bit lower. This stick is your anchor and shouldn’t move. Now, place the second chopstick on top between your index finger and thumb.”
I watched Tory again.
“Now, open and close the chopsticks,” David said.
“Try picking up food at a forty-five-degree angle.”
I picked up a piece of chicken and managed to get it into my mouth without dropping it.
“Yes!” I shouted. “I did it!”
Twenty minutes later, I was almost as good as David and Tory at using chopsticks.
“This was the best idea ever,” Tory said. “Who knows when we’ll all be together to eat Chinese again.”
I didn’t think I was the only one blinking back tears. It was a special night for each of us because we were together. Tory was right. David was flying back the next day, and the day after that Mike and I would be moving Tory to New York. Sometimes the best moments were those you didn’t plan. They just sort of happened. And this was one of them.
“Oh, almost forgot.” I reached into the paper bag and pulled out three fortune cookies. “Who wants to go first?”
“You go, David,” Tory said.
David unwrapped his cookie and pulled out the tiny strip of white paper. “Don’t just think, act.”
“I like that one,” I said. “Tory, you’re next.”
Tory unwrapped hers. “Embrace change.”
“That’s a good one, too. And there’s definitely going to be a lot of change in your life.”
“Guess it’s my turn.” I unwrapped my cookie and removed the tiny white slip and smiled. “Now is the time to try something new.” It was perfect!
We all high-fived and ended the night playing board games, something we’d often done on a Saturday when they were little.
“Thanks, Mom, for a wonderful week. I had a great time. Even Tory didn’t work on my nerves too much.”
Tory grabbed a pillow off of the sofa and soon the two of them were having a massive pillow fight. And instead of yelling for them to calm down and quit messing up the house, I let it go.
Mike and Tory drove David to the airport the next morning. I was meeting with the real-estate agent who’d showed me the downtown property. I wanted to know how much Ed thought I could get for my house.
I’d just finished loading the dishwasher when the doorbell rang. Muffin dashed to the door, running so fast she slipped on the hardwood floor in the foyer and did a spreadeagle.
I opened the door. “Hi, Ed. Thanks for coming so early in the morning.”
“No problem. I work when my clients need me to work.”
He reached down to pet Muffin, who had rolled over onto her back. “What’s his name?”
“It a girl and her name is Muffin.”
“Cute.”
“Do you have a dog?”
“Did, but not anymore. She died about six months ago. She was a puppy mill dog and we rescued her. My wife took it hard. I’m sure we’ll get another one, but she’s not ready yet.”
We started in the kitchen and Ed pulled out a small black notebook and jotted things down as I showed him the house.
“Beautiful place,” he said. “Are you sure you want to leave this and move downtown?”
“Guess that depends on what I can get for this and how much the downtown property will cost. But I’m ready for a change.”
He saw the antique Hoosier cabinet and sideboard in my formal dining room. “You have some beautiful antiques that would fit perfectly in the downtown property.”
“Yes, I’d definitely take those with me.”
“What about the appliances? Would they stay or go?”
“I’d take the washer and dryer and refrigerator. The rest can stay.”
“Is there anything else you aren’t planning to take?”
“The curtains can stay and I don’t plan on taking the formal living-room suite or the furniture in the guest bedroom. I could sell them with the house or arrange for them to be picked up by an auction house.”
Ed glanced around the family room. “What a great stone fireplace. This really is a beautiful home. I’ll check to see what other houses have sold for in the neighborhood and run some numbers and see what I come up with.”
“Sounds good.”
I walked Ed to the door and showed him out. I inhaled deeply and exhaled.
Now is the time to try something new. I was hoping my fortune was right!