Jade
San Diego
I can’t believe the wedding weekend is all over, even the wedding breakfast flew by and we’re on a plane to San Diego, just like that.
I know Jay has been restless ever since he saw that text from my mom. The whole thing makes him understandably nervous. He’s talked about calling his uncle Leo, but I told him he should only do that when he’s ready. He said he’d rather get it out of the way sooner rather than later, and see what Leo has to say. Personally, I don’t think he should push it, only Jay knows the depths of destruction his own mother placed upon him. I want to be as supportive as possible, but be a soft place for him to land if he needs it.
If he doesn’t want to talk to her after years of being put through hell from her actions, that’s up to him.
We’re both exhausted from the few days in Vegas. As soon as we all arrived at my parents’ last night, we crashed. This morning Dad is making his famous pancakes for brunch, so I’m doing a quick round of yoga while Jay makes his phone call to Uncle Leo.
I’ve rolled out my yoga mat in the guest room where Jay is staying while he’s here before flying back to Seattle. I told him I’d make myself scarce in the next room while he phones Leo.
A few deep breaths always start my practice just right. After a few kneeling cat to cow poses and a child’s pose, I roll forwards, tucking my toes to a downward facing dog. Walking out my dog, I twist my chest slightly side to side, the stretch feeling so good.Then I bend my knees and slowly walk my feet into my hands. I hang in a forward fold for a few breaths, then raise my arms up, lifting my chest, my hands meeting overhead in an extended mountain pose.
I circle my arms around to my back, clasping my hands for a chest stretch, pushing my hips slightly forward and my knuckles toward the ground. Releasing them, I circle my arms once more to extended mountain, then with a slight bend of my knees, I come into a forward fold again. Lunging my right leg behind me, I lift my chest, using my fingertips to press into the mat. Then, push to a downward facing dog. An in breath takes me forward into a plank, then I bend my elbows, guiding my chest and chin toward the ground, after a second or so hover, I roll my shoulders into baby cobra.
That’s when I hear Jay’s voice from the next room. He must have his cell on speaker.
“Jay, is that you?” Says a man’s voice.
“Sure is,” Jay says, and even if I can’t see him, he sounds kinda awkward and hesitant. He has a good relationship with his uncle, but I can understand how hard this must be.
I push back to a downward facing dog, trying hard not to listen, but it’s a little hard, since he’s in the adjoining bedroom of the guest suite.
“It’s nice to hear from you, how are you?”
“I’m good, I’ve just been at a friend’s wedding in Vegas, and I hope you don’t mind if I cut to the chase, but Mom has been pretty adamant lately about getting in touch. She said to talk to you.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I lunge my right leg forward and step into a forward fold.
I hear his uncle Leo sigh. “She never makes it easy on herself, does she?”
“Nope.”
“What I can say is she’s living about an hour away from Fargo. I’ve caught up with her a couple of times this past year.”
I push up to mountain pose, taking a big breath to extended mountain, then an exhale has me back to a forward fold, where I do the whole sun salutation again on the left side as Jay talks.
“And do you believe any of it with her turning over this new leaf and getting sober?”
“She’s been sober for a year,” he says. “I know that much.”
“Really?”
“I could hardly believe it myself. But it’s true. She’s going to church and seems to really be turning her life around.”
“Church?”
“Yeah, it seems so.”
“She keeps contacting me, asking to reconnect. Over the weekend she said to talk to you. I wasn’t sure if it was just another one of her lies to get back in my life.”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
“I’m not ready for that,” Jay says firmly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”
“That’s up to you,” Leo says. “From what we’ve talked about, she’s kept tabs on you over the years. I know it’s hard to believe, and only time will tell, but sometimes people can change.”
