I’m Janine and at 80 years old, I thought I had learned all of life’s hard lessons. I was wrong.
The crulest one was waiting for me on what should have been one of my happiest days. For weeks, I had been planning my 80th birthday party. Not a big celebration, just a simple family gathering in the house where I had raised my son, Tyson, where his children had taken their first steps, where three generations of memories lived in every corner.
I spent days cleaning, cooking his favorite dishes, arranging flowers from my garden. I even bought a new tablecloth, something I hadn’t done in years.
The dining room looked perfect that Saturday afternoon. The roast was golden in the oven, the apple pie cooling on the counter. I had made Tyson’s favorite potato salad, the one with the secret ingredient his grandmother taught me.
Tatum, my daughter-in-law, always said she loved my homemade rolls, so I made three dozen. The table was set for eight people: Tyson, Tatum, their twin boys, Marcus and Michael, my daughter-in-law’s sister who sometimes joined us, and a few spots for neighbors who might drop by.
I checked the clock again, 3:00. They were supposed to arrive at 2. At 3:30, I called Tyson’s phone. It went straight to voicemail. I tried again at 4. Same thing. By 4:30, my hands were shaking as I dialed once more.
This time, someone answered. Hello. Tatum’s voice was irritated, like I had interrupted something important. Hi, sweetie. It’s Mom. I was wondering where you all are. The food is getting cold. And oh, there was a pause and I could hear water splashing in the background. Music?
Laughter. We’re on vacation. Didn’t Tyson tell you? My stomach dropped. Vacation? But it’s my birthday party. We planned this weeks ago. Well, this trip came up last minute. Great deal on a resort in Cabo. The boys are having such a good time in the pool. I gripped the phone tighter. But you knew about today. I bought groceries. I’ve been cooking all morning. Look, Janine, we can’t control when good opportunities come up. Besides, you’re probably just going to clean the house anyway, right?