Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
“You know I planted these right after your father and I were married.”
“Mom,” I warn, and I swear her grin widens.
“Since you inherited the property, I suppose these will be here for your own wife to enjoy.” When she’s finished filling the vase, she turns around and holds it out to me. “Here.”
I want to roll my eyes, but I love my mom even if she’s being aggravating. “Where do you want these?” I decide that the sooner I put them where they’re supposed to go, the sooner I can interrogate her about what Jeremy told her.
“In the cottage, of course.” She looks at me like I’m being ridiculous, but I see her sly smirk.
“In the cottage?” I narrow my eyes on her.
“I’m sure they’ll make Glenda feel much better.” She holds her chin up as she walks past me. “At the very least, they’re great for an apology.”
“An apology?” I stand there totally confused as I stare at the bouquet. It’s stunning, but I’m not about to tell her that right this second. “Mom?”
She’s already long gone, leaving me with the flowers and more confused than ever. What on earth do I have to apologize for? Glenda was the one that gave me the cold shoulder.
My mom and dad have been married for so long that sometimes I forget that they were ever not married. In all those years, I’ve seen them disagree, but I’ve never seen them fight. Maybe they know something I don’t. My dad won’t be here until late tonight since he’s finishing business in the city, but maybe I can text him and ask what the hell Mom is talking about. Maybe the key to a happy marriage is to apologize when you have no idea what else to do?
Deciding to deliver the flowers as an excuse to see Glenda, I begin to walk toward the cottage as I call my dad.
“Hey, son,” he answers, and I go straight for it.
“Do you ever apologize to Mom when you don’t know what you’ve done wrong?”
“Why, is she mad at me?” It sounds like everything around him stops, and I want to roll my eyes.
“No, I’m asking for advice.”
“Oh, thank god.” He lets out a sigh of relief. “And yes, I apologize all the time.”
“When you don’t know what you did? That seems ridiculous.”
“Son, there’s one piece of advice that I got from my dad on my wedding day that I’ve carried throughout my marriage.”
“Which is?” I stop walking and stare at the cottage in the distance.
“Always ask yourself this: Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?”
“What?” Now I’m even more confused.
“If all it takes to make your partner happy is to apologize, what does that really cost you? If she’s happy, you’ll be happy. If you’re too busy worrying about being right, you’re missing out on the way your partner feels. Isn’t her happiness the most important thing?”
“Well, yeah, but I don’t know what I’m apologizing for, and I don’t want to walk in there and look even more like an ass if she doesn't want anything to do with me.”
I can practically hear him smiling on the other end of the line. “Sweet boy, if she loves you, then she’ll hear you out. It’s not the apology, it’s the act of acknowledging their feelings that matters.”
“But what if you’re wrong?”
“Then what have you really lost?”
I open my mouth and then close it again. He’s right, of course, and I’m stunned silent.
“If that doesn’t work, just remember women love when you lick—”
“And on that note, I’m going to call my therapist,” I interrupt, and now he’s cackling.
“I’ll see you tonight?”
“Possibly.” I look at the cottage and hope that I’m there long enough to convince Glenda not to throw me out. “I guess if my apology works, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Then good luck. I love you, son.”
“Love you too, Dad,” I say before I hang up and tuck my phone in my pocket.
All I can do is hope that the sight of these roses gives me enough time to keep her from shutting the door in my face. Then I’ll get to groveling, because my dad is right. I don’t only want myself to be happy, I want that for Glenda too.
Chapter Nine
Glenda
“Glenda!” My eyes fly open as I’m jolted awake with my Kindle still in my hand. I must have nodded off. “Baby!” Cillian's voice booms through the cottage, and it sounds like a herd of animals coming down the hallway. I sit up, wondering what the heck is going on just as the door to my room swings open to reveal a frantic Cillian.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as he freezes in the doorway. “What’s going on?” I say again when he doesn’t respond.
“I…ah.” He pauses, clearing his throat. “The living room looks ransacked. I thought something happened.”