Life Can’t Always Be Perfect
After the play was over, Autumn’s family went out for ice cream. They piled into the SUV, and Autumn smiled at the coziness of it all.
Several minutes later they arrived at Autumn’s favorite ice-cream parlor. She ordered and then sat down with her family to wait.
It took awhile to get everyone’s treats made up, but eventually Autumn was shoving spoonfuls of mint ice cream into her mouth as she glanced around the table.
Her father sat next to her mother with his arm around her. She was smiling up at him, and he hesitated a moment before bending down to kiss her on the forehead. She blushed and then looked away.
Jessie was wiping the ice cream dripping off Sam’s chin. She caught Autumn’s gaze and smiled.
“You did a wonderful job, honey,” she said, helping Sam with his spoon. “I was so proud of you.”
“Everyone loved the dress,” Autumn replied. “It was so beautiful.”
“That’s because you were wearing it,” answered Jessie, and Autumn smiled.
“No more problems with Sydney?”
Autumn shook her head.
“Hmm … I hope that is the end of it then,” said Jessie.
“Me too.” She paused and then added, “You know, she talked to me today.”
Jessie’s eyes narrowed. “About what?”
“No … no, she was really nice. I mean … well … as nice as she can be, I guess.”
Jessie grinned. “What did she say?”
“She liked the dress.”
“Really? She paid you a compliment?”
Autumn nodded and then took another spoonful of ice cream.
“You know, I feel bad for her.”
“What? Why is that?”
“I saw her parents in the audience. Her mother was smiling and clapping, but her father was only clapping. He doesn’t seem like a very nice person.”
“Just because he wasn’t smiling?”
“No. He talked to me a few weeks ago about what was going on with Sydney. He thought I was harassing her.”
“Well, I hope you told him different,” replied Jessie with a frown. “You know, I saw what she was doing to you in the hall. Maybe I could go talk to him and …”
Autumn shook her head. “He wouldn’t listen. Like I said, he doesn’t seem very nice.”
Jessie sighed. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I feel bad for Sydney now, although that doesn’t excuse her behavior.”
There was a pause, and then Autumn sighed, setting down her spoon.
“I hear you are leaving to go back to your apartment.”
Jessie nodded. “They are finished with the renovations.”
“When are you going back?” asked Tom.
“Monday.”
“That’s only two days from now,” said Melissa. “You have to go so soon?”
Jessie smiled at her and then glanced at her brother.
“Oh, I think you’re going to be able to handle things from here on out,” she replied.
“I don’t know …” Melissa bit her lip and Tom raised her face to his.
“We’ll be fine, Melissa.”
“I … I don’t know …”
“I do.”
Autumn watched them for a moment, and then turned back to Jessie.
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
Jessie smiled. “Even clouds float away. You have a phone now. Call me whenever you want. Maybe you can make a trip to the city to see me this summer.”
“Could I? I would love that!”
“Me too.” She glanced over at Tom and Melissa. “Give them some time, honey. Hopefully things will turn out the way you want them to. But if they don’t, just be grateful for what you have. They both love you very much.”
“I know, but …”
Jessie smiled and took her hand.
“An Ojibwa elder once told me, ‘One thing we know for sure is that we all have a limited number of days here on earth.’”
“I know that, but …”
“So each day we can either find something to complain about or something to be grateful for. It’s really up to us.”
Autumn dropped Jessie’s hand and sat back in her chair. She thought about everything she had gone through with Sydney’s bullying and her speech issues. Her thoughts went back to how she didn’t want Jessie to come and now she didn’t want her to leave. She even had the lead in the school play! In a very short time, she had come a long way.
Autumn looked around the table at her family. Things weren’t ever going to be perfect, she thought, but maybe they weren’t meant to be. She would always have her speech issues, and not everyone was going to like her.
She smiled and reached over to give Aunt Jessie’s hand a squeeze.
Nope, things were never going to be perfect. But she was okay with that.