When You Least Expect It (63 page)

             
“This is my home, too, Mom!”

             
Amanda decided she had to be blunt.  “I need the money.  I can’t afford this house.  I don’t want to live alone in it.

             
Elisa stared at her mother, then at her aunt Hilary and Alex standing at the doorway.  “Everyone knew?”

             
“No, no one did.   Well, Alex did, he lives here.  Aunt Hilary found out this morning, the same way you did, sign first.”

             
She turned to her brother.  “You’re okay with this?”

             
Alex shrugged.  “I’m leaving.  It’s Mom’s decision.  Whatever makes her happy Elisa, don’t you think?”

             
“What do you mean you need the money?  For what?”

             
Amanda let out a whoop, sounding somewhat like a loon.  “Let’s see, I have a car payment…no car.  My daughter wants to have a wedding fit for a princess, and my son is going to an out-of-state to college.  Need I say more?”

             
Elisa suddenly felt like an ass.  “You’re selling the house because of me?”

             
Amanda put her arm around her daughters’ shoulders.  “No honey, because of me.  It’s the best thing for
me.
  I know I usually base my decisions on whatever everyone else wants, but it’s time for things to change, so get used to it.  I have to make decisions based on what I want, not what’s best for you two anymore.  You’re adults.”

             
Alex and Elisa looked at each other, wondering who this woman was and what had she done with their mother.  “Okay Mom, but don’t go too crazy with the decision making.”

             
“I think, my children, for once; I’m going to have to.”                                                                                    ~~~

              Amanda was in over her head.  There’d already been at least ten people who’d come to see the house, and it was only Day Two.  She was waiting to hear from Jamie, he had said there’d been some interest.  She was trying to busy herself by making dinner, but her mind was too distracted to try more than a tuna salad.  Finally, the phone rang.

             
“There’s good news.  There were two offers today.  One looks promising, she offered full price.  It’s just a matter of coming up with the down payment.  Your house could be sold by the end of the week, Amanda.”

             
Amanda was stunned.  This was happening too fast.  “I had no idea it would be this soon.”  Her mind was reeling.  Where would she live?  “How fast would the closing be?”

             
“It’s too soon to say, but probably in sixty days.”

             
Amanda’s mouth dropped open.  “Sixty days?  I’d have to be out of here by then?”

             
“Yes, Amanda, better start preparing.  If this one doesn’t work out, there are two more bites after that.  Your house is a buyer’s dream.  Either way, your house is going to sell fast.”

             
She hung up, still in shock.  She stood there, not knowing what to do next.   She finally opted to go to the computer and start pricing apartments.

~~~

             
Amanda called Ray after two hours on the computer.  She’d been appalled at the price of a two bedroom.  It was almost double her mortgage. 

             
“How will I afford that, Ray?  I won’t even have Alex to help me with it, just me. I don’t know how I can do it.”

             
“Of course you can, Mandy.  You probably will pay off all your outstanding debts with the house profit, right?”

             
“Yes.”

             
“Alex will be gone so your food bill will be cut in half as will the electricity.”

             
Amanda considered this for a moment.  “So, really, my only expense will be rent, electric and phone.  I don’t even have to have cable if I don’t want.”

             
“That’s right.  All the decisions will be yours.”

             
Amanda felt one hundred per cent better.  “Thanks, Ray.  I’ll try not to panic.  I have some appointments tomorrow to check out a few of the apartments, so I guess I’ll have a better idea after that.”

             
“Good, get some rest and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

             
                                                        ~~~

Amanda and Alex ate their pizza in silence.  They had checked out some apartments, and they’d been awful!  She couldn’t imagine living in one, especially after living in their cute little house.  What if that was all she could find in her price range?  She couldn’t fathom it.

             
“Why so quiet Alex?”

             
He looked up at his mom.  “What if you have to live in one of those shit holes Mom?  I don’t want to go away and leave you there.  The neighborhoods don’t seem too nice either.  I’d be worried all the time.”

             
Alex was right.  The neighborhoods seemed a little on the seedy side.  “Don’t worry.  I’m not going to live in a bad neighborhood, nor in a dumpy apartment.  I’ll just keep looking until I find something I love.  It’ll happen.” 

             
Alex doubted very much that Amanda felt as positive as she was trying to sound.  He left for school in two weeks and he wanted to make sure she was set before he left.   “Mom, keep looking tomorrow.  I want to make sure I know where you’re going to live before I go.”

“Okay, Dad, I’ll do my best.”  She laughed at her son.  “When did the tables get turned here?”

              “I just worry about you, Mom.  It’s going to be tough enough to leave you as it is, without having you live in the ghetto.  Keep looking now, so that you don’t have to settle for just anything at the last minute.”

             
She put her arm around his neck.  “Know what?  I’ll miss you too.”

             
                                                        ~~~

             
Elisa had not taken the news of the sale very well. 

             
“Mom, where are we going to stay on my wedding night?”

             
“I don’t know, I guess my apartment.”  The wedding was a sore subject with Amanda.  So far, they had almost the whole wedding planned and she’d taken part in none of it.  She hadn’t even seen the place for the reception yet.  She felt so left out of everything. 
              “I don’t want to stay at an apartment.”  She pouted.  “I want to have all my bridesmaids spend the night.  An apartment would be too small.”

             
“Well, it’s all I’ll have.”

             
“Mom, why couldn’t you wait to sell the house till after I was married?” 

             
Amanda looked at her petulant child and wondered how it was she was going to become a wife.  “Well, then you wouldn’t be able to afford the fairytale wedding.”

             
Elisa literally stuck out her bottom lip.  “It’s not fair.”

             
“Yeah well, life isn’t fair, Elis. Get used to it.”  Amanda had spent yet another day looking at trashy apartments and wasn’t in a very good mood. 

             
“Mom, Alex and I are taking you out to dinner tonight.”

             
Amanda grunted.  “I’m really not in the mood.”

             
“It’s your birthday celebration.”  She smiled, looking like a Cheshire cat.  “It’ll be fun.”

             
“My birthday isn’t until next week and I definitely do not feel like celebrating it early.”

             
“Why not?  I think we could all use a bit of ice cream and cake.  Besides, I won’t be able to do it on your real birthday.”

             
Amanda wondered why that was but decided that she didn’t want to know why.  It probably had something to do with the wedding and she would just rather not know.  “Fine, whatever you want.”

             
“But I hope you’ll snap out of this miserable mood you’re in.”

             
“Well since this was sprung on me at the last moment, I doubt that I will.”  She walked into her bedroom to get ready, slamming the door behind her.  She was miserable and saw no chance of coming out of it for dinner.  She called Ray. 

             
“Hey sexy, what’s up?”  Ray, as always, was happy to hear from her.

             
“I’m not happy today, Ray, and I was hoping you could cheer me up.”

             
“Well, I know someone who is having a birthday next week.”

             
“Ugh!  That’s not going to do it.  In fact, the kids are taking me out today!  I’m in no mood.”

             
“It should be fun.  Just relax, have a glass of wine and let the kids treat you to a fun evening.  You’ll love it.”  Ray already knew what the kids had in store for her.  He couldn’t wait!

             
“I suppose you’re right.  I better get going.  I just wanted to hear your voice, Ray, and guess what, it helped.  Talk to you later.”

             
“Have fun, sweet one!” 

             
Amanda hung up with a smile on her face.  There was one thing though; Ray didn’t seem surprised that her kids wanted to take her out a week early.  She shook her head.  That must be her imagination; he had no way of knowing.             

             
She heard Elisa yelling from the living room.  “Let’s go, Mom.”

             
She sighed, changed her shirt, and left the room with a smile.  “I want ice cream!”

             
They went to a diner that Amanda liked that was like a 50’s style sock hop.  They had a DJ that played 50’s music, the food was casual, and they made a big production of birthdays.  She was sure this is why the kids had chosen this place.  It was loud and fun and there was no way she could stay in a bad mood. 

             
As they enjoyed their burgers and floats, Elisa cried, “I can’t wait to give you your gift a moment more! Happy birthday, Mom! She handed her a card.

             
“Hmm, what could this be?”  She opened it and her mouth dropped open.  It was an airline ticket.

             
“Are you kidding me?”  She was flabbergasted.  The ticket was to see Ray.

             
“Nope, and we checked with Ray to make sure it was okay with him, and of course it was.  You only have to make sure it’s okay with Mariah.”

             
Amanda was overwhelmed.  “I can’t believe you guys did this.” 

             
“We wanted to get you something you really wanted; we knew you’d love this.”  Alex looked at her expectantly.  “You do, right Mom?”

             
She got up and hugged the both of them.  “It’s the most thoughtful gift ever.  Ray knew about this?”

             
Elisa laughed.  “Yeah, he did.  He even chipped in!”

             
“He’s a sneaky little bastard.”  Amanda was grinning from ear to ear.  “This calls for a super duper all the works sundae!” The ordered it and shared it when it came.  Amand was sitting on a cloud.  She could hardly wait to get home and call Ray, to pack and to get away from it all, if only for a little while.  It truly was the perfect gift.

             
                           
Chapter 44

             
Amanda walked the familiar hallway down to the metal gates.  She thought back to the last time she’d been here; she’d been so scared and had wanted so much to get back on that plane.  She smiled, and then noticed someone waving through the little window on the door.  It was Ray.  Without even a second’s hesitation, she started to run towards him. 

             
He opened the door and she threw herself in his arms.  They didn’t speak; they just held each other, reacquainting themselves with their touch, their smell.  

Finally, they came apart, looked at each other and laughed.

“Happy birthday, honey.”

“Thank you, but it’s not until the weekend.  I’m so happy to be here to spend it with you, Ray.  Thanks for helping the kids arrange this.  This is great!”

“I have a whole weekend of fun and surprises for you.  Or, we can hang out in the apartment all weekend if you just want to relax.  It’s your birthday, so it’s all up to you.”

“They both sound good but whatever you planned is fine.  After all, I don’t get to the east coast very often.”