Love Lonely
1/1
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“He’s uneducated.”
“His GPA is probably below a 3.0.”
“He has no future.”
“He isn’t worthy of you.”
“What does he do for a living? Mow lawns?”
I stared at my parents, biting my lip so hard that it bled. I forced myself to breathe.
“I can’t believe he had the nerve to even ask you on one date, let alone more.”
“And I can’t believe that you agreed!”
“He will never be welcome in this house.”
I couldn’t stand it any longer. “He asked me to marry him.”
Silence.
“How ridiculous,” my father spat contemptuously.
“Absurd,” my mother agreed. “And what did he say when you refused?”
“I said yes.” I stated quietly. They gasped in unison and disbelief. Before they could utter more profanities, I continued, “Consider yourselves uninvited to the wedding, and out of my life. I won’t stand for any disrespect towards my fiancé and future husband, and I certainly won’t raise our children around that kind of racist attitude. Goodbye.”
That was the last time I saw my parents, fifteen years ago.
I locked up at the dance studio that I own, and walked down the street to pick Maya up from school. I couldn’t believe my baby was already 10! I chatted aimlessly with another waiting mom in the parking lot as I pondered my little girl. She inherited her father’s hazel eyes and my silky Asian hair. Her father’s charm, my grace and elegance. She adored her older brother Max, who was 11 and would meet us at home, having biked from school. He inherited all of his father’s good looks, except for my lips and nose. They were talented and charming, though when they felt like pranking… let’s just say that a disaster would be an understatement.
“Momma!” Maya ran up to me and jumped into my arms.
“Whoa!” I adjusted myself, thankful for the reflexes I’d developed from years of dancing. “What’s got you so excited?” I spun her around and set her down.
“I got the main role in the school play!”
“I knew you could do it!” I kissed her forehead. “How about we get Max from home, so you can tell him while we get ice cream to celebrate?”
“Yes!” she cheered and we walked to the car. Well, she ran excitedly and I chased after her. Good thing I didn’t bring a purse.
Maya hopped into my Audi RS 7 and buckled up, looking expectantly at me. I shook my head with a smile, driving home at a fast but legal pace.
“MAX!!!!” Maya hollered as soon as I opened the door.
Max thundered down the stairs from his room. “WHO DIED?!”
“Watch your mouth, young man,” I scolded. It’s very bad luck to speak of death in Chinese culture.
“Sorry mom,” he looked down sheepishly. Both of them knew enough Chinese to get by, but we didn’t speak it much because Alex, their father, didn’t know much. We spoke a good deal of Spanish though, which I’d picked up surprisingly well.
“Guess what?! I landed the part of Juliet!” Maya exclaimed.
“Congratulations,” Max hugged her and spun her around, as I had earlier. They turned and both gave me identical looks. I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, we’re going for ice cream. Go put on your shoes.”
Max scrambled to pull on his Jordans as the door opened, revealing my handsome husband. He pulled me in and kissed me, on my lips and then my forehead and I lingered in his embrace. “Back from work so early?”
“Yes, luckily, seeing as Max made the basketball team.”
“YOU DID?!” Maya shrieked. “CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
I winced and rubbed my ears. “I do hope she’ll grow out of that. Maya landed the role of Juliet as well.” Alex released me to hug our daughter.
“Good job, sweetie. I knew you could do it.”
We all drove to Baskin Robins in Alex’s Lexus, and he turned to me in a low voice as the kids chatted among themselves. “Your parents called.”
I froze for a moment, then regained my composure. “What did they say?”
“They apologized very sincerely to me, and to you, and begged our forgiveness. They asked how we’ve been doing, and if we had kids.” A guilty look stole across his features.
“Alex, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.” I took his hand.
“They didn’t even know they had grandkids, Alexa. They have a right to know, after raising such a beautiful daughter of their own.” He held my face in his hands and I closed my eyes.
“If you can forgive them, then I will too- if they have changed. When did you tell them we would meet?”
“Tonight.”
I smiled half-heartedly and finished my Chocolate Fudge ice cream, the thoughts whirring through my mind.
Back at home, I sent the kids up to shower and drew myself a bath. At six p.m. sharp, the doorbell rang. I took a deep breath, and Alex squeezed my hand in support. Here goes nothing…
“This isn’t funny.”
“He’s uneducated.”
“His GPA is probably below a 3.0.”
“He has no future.”
“He isn’t worthy of you.”
“What does he do for a living? Mow lawns?”
I stared at my parents, biting my lip so hard that it bled. I forced myself to breathe.
“I can’t believe he had the nerve to even ask you on one date, let alone more.”
“And I can’t believe that you agreed!”
“He will never be welcome in this house.”
I couldn’t stand it any longer. “He asked me to marry him.”
Silence.
“How ridiculous,” my father spat contemptuously.
“Absurd,” my mother agreed. “And what did he say when you refused?”
“I said yes.” I stated quietly. They gasped in unison and disbelief. Before they could utter more profanities, I continued, “Consider yourselves uninvited to the wedding, and out of my life. I won’t stand for any disrespect towards my fiancé and future husband, and I certainly won’t raise our children around that kind of racist attitude. Goodbye.”
That was the last time I saw my parents, fifteen years ago.
I locked up at the dance studio that I own, and walked down the street to pick Maya up from school. I couldn’t believe my baby was already 10! I chatted aimlessly with another waiting mom in the parking lot as I pondered my little girl. She inherited her father’s hazel eyes and my silky Asian hair. Her father’s charm, my grace and elegance. She adored her older brother Max, who was 11 and would meet us at home, having biked from school. He inherited all of his father’s good looks, except for my lips and nose. They were talented and charming, though when they felt like pranking… let’s just say that a disaster would be an understatement.
“Momma!” Maya ran up to me and jumped into my arms.
“Whoa!” I adjusted myself, thankful for the reflexes I’d developed from years of dancing. “What’s got you so excited?” I spun her around and set her down.
“I got the main role in the school play!”
“I knew you could do it!” I kissed her forehead. “How about we get Max from home, so you can tell him while we get ice cream to celebrate?”
“Yes!” she cheered and we walked to the car. Well, she ran excitedly and I chased after her. Good thing I didn’t bring a purse.
Maya hopped into my Audi RS 7 and buckled up, looking expectantly at me. I shook my head with a smile, driving home at a fast but legal pace.
“MAX!!!!” Maya hollered as soon as I opened the door.
Max thundered down the stairs from his room. “WHO DIED?!”
“Watch your mouth, young man,” I scolded. It’s very bad luck to speak of death in Chinese culture.
“Sorry mom,” he looked down sheepishly. Both of them knew enough Chinese to get by, but we didn’t speak it much because Alex, their father, didn’t know much. We spoke a good deal of Spanish though, which I’d picked up surprisingly well.
“Guess what?! I landed the part of Juliet!” Maya exclaimed.
“Congratulations,” Max hugged her and spun her around, as I had earlier. They turned and both gave me identical looks. I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, we’re going for ice cream. Go put on your shoes.”
Max scrambled to pull on his Jordans as the door opened, revealing my handsome husband. He pulled me in and kissed me, on my lips and then my forehead and I lingered in his embrace. “Back from work so early?”
“Yes, luckily, seeing as Max made the basketball team.”
“YOU DID?!” Maya shrieked. “CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
I winced and rubbed my ears. “I do hope she’ll grow out of that. Maya landed the role of Juliet as well.” Alex released me to hug our daughter.
“Good job, sweetie. I knew you could do it.”
We all drove to Baskin Robins in Alex’s Lexus, and he turned to me in a low voice as the kids chatted among themselves. “Your parents called.”
I froze for a moment, then regained my composure. “What did they say?”
“They apologized very sincerely to me, and to you, and begged our forgiveness. They asked how we’ve been doing, and if we had kids.” A guilty look stole across his features.
“Alex, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.” I took his hand.
“They didn’t even know they had grandkids, Alexa. They have a right to know, after raising such a beautiful daughter of their own.” He held my face in his hands and I closed my eyes.
“If you can forgive them, then I will too- if they have changed. When did you tell them we would meet?”
“Tonight.”
I smiled half-heartedly and finished my Chocolate Fudge ice cream, the thoughts whirring through my mind.
Back at home, I sent the kids up to shower and drew myself a bath. At six p.m. sharp, the doorbell rang. I took a deep breath, and Alex squeezed my hand in support. Here goes nothing…
♠ ♠ ♠
840 words, done in about an hour :]