Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
Lizzie debated, paced and fretted for an hour and a half in her room about whether or not to go and meet up with everyone at Murphy’s. The thought of going was hard enough when all she had to concern herself with was having completely misjudged Jack on the Penelope matter, but now he was going to think she wasn’t trustworthy with all his plans and ideas. She never should have discussed it with her dad at all. It was stupid and thoughtless, and...“Argh!” she barks out loud, loud enough that her mom hears her as she walks by her room. The door is slightly ajar and Gabby pokes her head in. “Is everything okay, honey?”
Lizzie throws herself on her bed like she’s 13. “No, it’s not, I think I’ve really screwed things up.” She rolls onto her side and clutches her ancient stuffed teddy bear that is missing a leg and an eye. “Is it too late for me to change my mind and go back to Boston? Or for you to ground me and tell me I can’t go out tonight?”
Her mom sits down on the bed next to her and runs her hand through Lizzie’s hair. “‘Fraid so, honey. I really hate that term, ‘adulting’ but I guess it sort of applies here. Anything you want to share? If not, I totally respect your privacy.”
Lizzie props herself up on her elbow. “Dad will just tell you anyway. Well, at least the newspaper part. He doesn’t know the personal part.”
“Tell me both, one or neither, I’m good with whatever.”
“Were you always this chill when I was a teenager? You seem so relaxed.”
“I was not. The nice thing about this phase of life is as long as you are not in any kind of serious danger, which I can see you are not, you’re an adult and I don’t have to think about fixing your problems. You are more than capable of doing that yourself. I get to be a supporting player now, not a featured cast member,” she smiles.
“If I live to be 110 I will never be as Zen as you. I didn’t get that gene.”
“It comes with age, honey, I may not have the legs I once did, but this is a nice tradeoff. So, what happened?”
“Well first off, I totally screwed things up with Jack. I jumped to the conclusion that he and Penelope were an item when they were not, and he kept trying to reach out to me to explain, and I was a jerk and wouldn’t talk to him, and now I’m sure he hates me.”
“I’m one-hundred percent sure he doesn’t hate you. He may be frustrated, hurt perhaps, but I’m positive he doesn’t hate you. What’s the next thing?”
She sits up, crosses her legs in front of her, picks up the teddy bear again and clutches it into her stomach. “Ugh, this is even worse.” She takes a deep breath. “Stan ran into Jack...”
“Oh boy, any sentence that starts with, Stan ran into someone, is not good. He is not the best keeper of secrets. When your dad took me to Paris for our thirtieth anniversary?”
“Yeah, the big surprise trip?” Lizzie’s eyes get big, “No! He told you?!”
Gabby nods. “He didn’t mean to, he was so excited. Anyway, he’s not good at keeping secrets. So now who’s anniversary did he spoil, metaphorically?”
“Not an anniversary, but Dad had told him about some of Jack’s plans-”
“No,” she shakes her head in disbelief. “Of all the people to tell something like that to.”
“I know, so anyway he ran into Jack at the hardware store this morning, and he’s going to think Dad and I ruined his prospects with the town.”
“Oh no,” she smacks her forehead with her hand.
“Yup, told him how excited he was about all the plans for the town he had, and wanted to talk to him about it. But it gets worse.”
“Oh no, who did he tell next? I shudder to think,” Gabby says.
“Yeah, and oh, it’s bad, he told Tom Jenkins, who I’m sure will make it his mission to use every legal string he can pull, along with all the heartstrings of the old timers, and new people who don’t think about the economic or environmental future of the town, and will try to kill anything he wants to do. But before that happens Jack will never, ever speak to me again.”
“Well, I’ve seen the way that guy looks at you, and I think the chances are very good that he will speak to you. Eventually.”
“Somehow that is not very reassuring, Mom, thanks a lot,” she tosses the teddy bear at her and they laugh. “I cannot believe that here I am, 32-years-old, and I’m still sitting here on my bed talking about boy problems with my mom.” She throws herself back on her bed. “Maybe coming back here was not a good idea.”
“Coming back was a great idea, don’t ever think it was not, and,” she lies down next to Lizzie and takes her hand, “I love having you here. I’ve missed you so much, and while I don’t ever wish any problems on you, I can assure you it’s all going to be okay.”
Lizzie turns and hugs her mom. “Promise?”
“I promise.” Gabby suddenly sits up. “So if you’re going to wow them at karaoke tonight, you’re going to need a cuter outfit than that,” she teases. She gets up and starts looking in the closet. “Here, this is perfect!”
“Really? That’s what you want me to wear?”
Her mom nods, “I will leave you to get ready. Love you, sweetie.”
“Love you too.”