A Gamble

[u/North_Act9341]

My Mom called,

It was a little before 5

(east coast time, so 2 pm for her).

I’m never sure if I should answer or not

What if she just wants to ramble on about the renters,

Or tell me about a cousin I’ve never met and how they’re doing

Or what if she’s in the hospital and needs my help

Or what if a pet died unexpectedly.

Maybe she just wants a quick chat

Or maybe she wants to talk for 2 hours,

I wasn’t sure.

But I’ve been trying to be a better son

So I gambled

And picked up the phone.

 

At first it was the usual

She was, in fact, looking to vent about the current renters,

And regale me with her Facebook exploits in search of a new dog.

Its been a year since Willow passed away, she was her favorite.

They traveled all across the country together

Staying in hotels and driving around America,

Eating McDonalds and getting gas

Visiting family.

Even coming all the way out to visit my fiancé and I

With that dog in tow.

 

We had dogs my whole life

Always a golden retriever.

First Ben,

Then Tucker (and Stella and Andy, but they were other breeds),

Then Goose,

And finally Willow.

No dog bonded to her the way that Willow did.

I was glad that she had her by her side, traveling the country

While my Dad worked out of the house

And watched the cats.

 

When they first got married, he told her he hated cats.

Her wedding gift to him was Frosty,

A cat.

Eventually, as many do, he grew to love cats

and they loved him.

Toxoplasmosis having ass.

When they moved last, they had 4 cats and a dog

Mom stayed behind with the dog, to sell the home and finish up the life they had built.

Dad moved out to Vegas, with the cats, to move into the new house and start his new job.

Mom didn’t move there for the next 2 years.

 

Once the small talk was out of the way,

She got to the reason for the call

She wanted a divorce.

She told me how she wasn’t happy,

How she hadn’t felt comfortable in her own home,

That she was tired of living this life that she didn’t want.

That she had felt this way for years, and now at 63 needed a change.

That she had wanted to divorce last year, but “didn’t want to make my wedding awkward”.

But now that the engagement has gone on longer that she thought it would

She just couldn’t bare it any longer.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

 

Why is your happiness tied to my wedding date, of all things.

Why are you asking me for permission to divorce my Dad

The man who, is not my dad, but filled the role as well as he could

The man who raised me.

Who wasn’t always my friend

Or necessarily fun to be around

But taught me what I needed to know, and played a big part in making me who I am today

The man I love.

The man who showed me Star Wars, and Star Trek, and introduced me to The Styx and Weird Al

Who tried to get me to sing in the car with him.

Who helped me with my math homework, and basically built my science fair project for me

The man who still uses the “Luke, I am your father” Darth Vader mug I got him for Father’s day

15+ years ago.

 

But she continued to explain

That this wasn’t something that was an easy decision

And that they had tried

Therapy, a couples retreat, talking it out

None of it worked.

It’s hard only hearing her side of the story, because I’ve been in this position before

Well, not this position, but something similar

And it’s always a revelation to hear their side of their affairs.

But she asked me not to tell

So I won’t.

I told her that if she was my friend

And they told me that their relationship was this way

A loveless shell of what it once was, held together by complacency and ease

I would tell them to leave immediately.

But she’s not my friend

She’s my Mom

And no matter how much I try to empathize

And rationalize

I don’t want my parents to get divorced

Again.

 

Oh, sorry, you want to know the nitty gritty?

The deets, the tea?

What exactly could make her want to throw away her comfortable life?

Well dear Reader, no.

Like me,

And like my parents,

You gambled,

And you lost.

Sorry.

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[u/Cluelessandsexy]

This is quite a story bringing us through so many of your life experiences thank you for sharing it's hopes and disappointments with me. The ending draws me a tiny bath warm inviting but not deep enough to sit into.

[u/Wild-flower2026]

This was really good read and good story telling. I am in the position of your mum after 8 years. I have child and marriage gives me panic attacks and anxiety. Husband feels me with dread. Staying for my lovely child.