“Thank you for making my favorite,” she said. “I haven’t had these in a long time. How did you find a place locally?”
“I didn’t,” her mother said. “I ordered them frozen online. Erika brought the box in last week when it came and I asked if she could tell me the directions on it.”
“Which was very nice of Erika to do.”
Kendra loved how Erika and Phil were always asking if there was anything her mother needed. She couldn’t get better renters and knew it. She’d be sad when they left, as she knew they wouldn’t stay forever. They were young yet, but she expected they’d get engaged at some point and start a family.
Nothing she needed to think or worry about today.
“She’s a sweet girl. I had dinner sent to them last night as a thank you for everything they’ve done. They dropped off a little gift for me and I didn’t know what to do. They’ve talked about this restaurant they like so I thought that was a good gift.”
“I got them a gift card to Fierce,” she said. “I appreciate everything they do. I haven’t seen them to drop it off but will see if they are around later today.”
It was the least she could do. She didn’t know them well enough to know what they might like to do or where to go, but she figured going to the pub for dinner was a good place. The range of food was large and she got enough on the card for them to have a nice meal on her. If they wanted to put it toward the restaurant, they’d have to kick more money in.
That was one thing she hated. When someone gave a gift card but it wasn’t enough to get much and you still had to spend. She’d had it happen to her in her life. She knew it was the thought that counted, but she didn’t often have the funds to add to things to use.
Those days were gone, but she still kept it in her head. She didn’t know Erika and Phil’s situation. They paid their rent on time and that was all she cared about.
“I’m sure they will love it,” her mother said. “Grab a coffee and have a seat. I’m going to dump this frosting on the way it’s supposed to be.”
She laughed as her mother tore open the package of vanilla frosting and it oozed all over the hot buns. She was going to have one major sugar rush this morning.
“I was going to make us bacon and eggs, but this is so much better.”
“It is,” her mother said. “We’ll have a nice early lunch later. I haven’t had ham in a long time and am looking forward to that too.”
“Me too.” It was one of those meals that had too much left over, but she’d bought other groceries to make soup with it and freeze that.
“Are you going to see Ivan today?” her mother asked.
“God, no,” she said. “It’s way too soon for that. We had one date, Mom. It was only a few days ago.”
She wanted to talk to her mother about Ivan. It’s not like she had anyone else she could tell. She’d had friends in school but lost track of many when she went to college. When she was in college she spent all her time doing her schoolwork, working part time, caring for the house and her mother.
At twenty when many were going out and partying, she was making grocery lists and learning how to cook and figure out the easiest way to make the house comfortable for her mother.
She didn’t want to think she lost some of her childhood. She’d never think that.
It was more about taking care of those that you loved.
Unlike what her father did.
He not only left her mother, but he all but walked out of her life too.
The child support came in until she was done with college, but she barely saw him. Part of that was her anger toward what he’d done to her mother.
She later realized it was anger toward what he’d done to her too, but she always put her mother first.
She hadn’t seen or talked to her father in years though he still lived in Charlotte. He knew how to reach her and didn’t bother. If he wasn’t interested, neither was she. Life was easier that way.
“It sounded like it was a good date though,” her mother said.
“I thought it was,” she said. “We talked about so many things. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard or long in years. You know his family picks on him about never spending money, but his house is beautiful.”
“You’re the same way, Kendra. You’re generous to a fault with those you love. Both with time and money. You just want the best deal that you can get for the right price. There isn’t anything wrong with that if you are willing to do the legwork.”
“Ivan is. You can see it in his house. He did all the work himself and with his father. He has such a great relationship with his family it seems. Not only the extended family but his immediate one.”
