Barbara Cavett met her daughter at Baggage Claim inside the airport. As they watched luggage spin around the baggage carousel, Abe felt her mother�s appraising eyes.
Sighing, she said, �Mom stop.�
�Stop what?�
�Making a mental inventory of my appearance.�
�I�m not.� She saw her daughter�s jaw clench and amended. �I was merely noticing your new clothes.�
�I went shopping with AJ and we hit a really good sale.�
�Is AJ the one you work for?�
�No, that�s Nick. AJ�s another group member. How did you luck out coming to get me? Short straw.� Her tone more sarcastic that she intended.
�Anna Bella Cavett, I will not tolerate your mouth! I came, because I�m your mother and I can,� she stated, just above whisper.
Abe noted her mother�s choice of words, but did not comment. A hostile silence fell over the two women. It was only broken as they walked to the car. Abe asked to drive and her mother grudgingly gave her the keys.
Once in the car, Barbara said, �I�ve schedule an appointment for you with Dr. Rhontorian, the day before you leave.�
�Why,� asked Abe, tightening her grip on the steering wheel in an effort to control her temper.
�Anna, you have lost too much weight. I can�t believe it isn�t affecting your health. As your mother, I know what�s right for you.�
Abe took her eyes off the road to study her mother�s profile. Her mother�s chin had a determined set to it. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes never wavered from the road ahead.
�You are going and that�s final. You will also eat your usual meals and not another word about it.�
Abe focused her eyes back on the road, determined her mother would not see the tears of frustration threatening to spill over her lashes. Barbara gave her daughter a cautious glance. Satisfied she had won, she turned her concentration back to the road. She grabbed for the dash, when the car suddenly swerved into an empty parking lot. Abe stopped the car abruptly and threw it into park.
�Anna Bella Cavett! What do you think you're doing?�
�All right mother, we're having this out here and now.�
�I don�t like your tone young lady. Take us home right now!�
�No. We are not putting everyone through what happened last time.�
�It was your choice to leave early,� Barbara said, crossing her arms in front of her. �Fuss all you want. You are going to see the doctor and you will eat all the food I fix for you. I am you mother and I will not watch you make yourself sick. And for what? It�s not like you have a man you�re trying to hold onto.�
Abe did a double take, her eyes huge with disbelief at what she was hearing. Looking out the windshield her foot started to bounce, but she clamped her mouth shut.
She reminded her mother of a time when she was 5 years old. Barbara had insisted she keep on the frilly dress she had worn to church. Abe wanted to change clothes and play outside with her brothers, but Barbara had insisted she remain a little lady. Fire shot from the girl�s eyes and her lips puckered up, in what her brother�s years later deemed the Church Lady mouth. Of course, her foot was bouncing like now. Abe hadn�t argued or fussed with her mother. Instead, she headed outside without a word. Barbara check on the kids later only to discover her daughter was hanging upside down from one of the higher limbs of their oak tree. Her little lace and cotton covered bottom was exposed to the world. Barbara made her get down immediately. Swatting her daughter on that same lace and cotton covered bottom, she put her in time-out. It was the first time they had really locked horns, but not the last by a far stretch as this scene was proving.
�Mother will you ever get over me being the big disappointment of your life?� Abe asked quietly, pulling her mother from her memories.
�I don�t think that!�
�Yes you do. I�m not what you wanted me to be, but will you ever just love me for me?�
Her daughter�s voice cracking, caught her by surprise.
�I do love you Anna,� she stated cautiously. �I love you enough to want more for you.�
�You love me enough,� Abe replied, incredulously. �God Mama! Why can�t you just love me? You never see me, only what I�m not. Do you realize how much I have accomplished? It doesn�t matter that I graduated from high school and college with honors. Forget about the fact that I became very successful in a business that is one of the toughest to get into, let alone succeed. Oh! And I did it as a female, which is next to impossible. I now have become successful in the new phase of my career. I have been to places most people only dream about. I have the respect of so many people, but I still can�t earn yours no matter how hard I try.�
�This has nothing to do respect,� interrupted her mother.
�Mama,� she sighed. �It has everything to do with respect. You don�t respect my career. You treat me like a failure, because I�m not married and have children. You don�t like that I�m not here in this town. Never mind that I wouldn�t be happy or feel fulfilled.�
�Do you not want a husband? Children?�
�Yes! I never said I didn�t.�
�Well you don�t act like it.�
�Mother, I want someone in my life, but I want the right one. Did you settle for Daddy?�
�Certainly not,� stated her mother, leaving no room for doubt.
�Then why do you want me to?�
�But Anna you�re not even trying.�
�First of all you don�t know I�m not.�
�I�ve never seen you take a chance,� countered her mother.
�It�s kinda hard to open yourself up to others when your mother is constantly judging you lacking and pointing out everything wrong. You love me and you don�t see anything good in me. How can I expect a stranger to see anything different?�
Barbara opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again. She saw a single tear slide down her daughter�s cheek and felt her own eyes begin to burn. She searched her brain for an argument to what Abe was saying, but in her heart she knew her child was telling the truth. What she had thought was helpful, she now realized was harmful.
Her throat tight from unshed tears, she said, �I do love you. You are one of the four reasons I get up in the morning. Anna, I do see all the things you�ve done. You are so fearless. It�s the fearlessness that scares me. I want you safe. I want you to find a man and I won�t apologize for wanting it. I want you to have someone to share your life with. You are so strong, but baby you can�t be strong all the time. I want someone there to catch you. Oh Anna, I didn�t mean to make you cry.�
�It�s okay. I want those things too. I don�t know for sure, but I think I can have that in the life I�ve chosen. That�s the difference Mama. You gotta understand something.�
�What?�
�To get that I have to change and I�m changing.�
�But it�s all surface,� argued Barbara.
�Mama, you are only seeing the surface. You haven�t taken the time to see if there are other changes.�
�Are there changes,� she asked, honestly.
�I think so,� replied Abe, looking at her mother.
Using the back of her hand, Barbara dried the tears on her daughter�s cheeks. �I�ll look for it then.�
�And I�ll go see Doc.�
�You will,� asked her mother. It was her turn to look surprised.
�It�s been almost two years since he seen me. I can�t wait to see the look on his face. Besides, will you stop bugging me about my weight if he gives me a clean bill of health?�
�Yes. Now about food.�
�Mama,� warned Abe.
�I was going to say, you eat what you want when you want.�
�No fixing my plate?�
�Only if you ask me to.�
�Fair enough.�
Barbara patted her cheek. �I love you, Little Bit.�
�I love you too, Mama. Because I love you I am going to tell you something, but you have to promise you will not ask any questions or pry.�
�Okay,� agreed Barbara, warily.
�I have met someone. Now wait,� cautioned Abe, seeing the wheels start to spin. �It is very new. No one on the tour knows. It�s too new to talk about.�
�Will you share more if things progress?�
�Yes, but please don�t ask. I will also tell you if it�s not happening.�
�I will do my best, but don�t be too hard on your old mom if she slips.�
�Okay,� replied Abe, with a smile.
�Can we go home, before your father sends out the sheriff in search of us?�
�Sure.�
Abe put the car in gear and pulled back out on the deserted street. The silence they rode in held none of the tension of the first part of the ride.
As Abe turned onto their street, Barbara said, �I think I�m seeing those changes you mentioned.�
Abe only smiled.
