Here We Have Idaho, Chapter 1
by Simahoyo
Family antics drive Jane and Maura to a short vacation in Idaho. Will the Idahoans drive them crazy, or will they fit right in?
I had a banging headache, and hearing Hope and Cailin arguing about Cailin's schedule and Maura on the phone with Constance, well, my temper got the best of me, and it just popped out.
"God, Maur, I have had it with your family." If I had been able to get away with it, I would have pushed the words back in my mouth and swallowed them.
Maura's eyes flipped up to me and filled with tears. Had to open my big mouth. Time to retreat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Maybe I'd better go home."
Maura shook her head. " Mom, I have to take care of something. Could I please call you back? I love you too. Bye."
Maura looked into my eyes, then smirked. "Hey! Everybody who isn't a blood relative, please sit down!" I sat. Hope and Cailin stared at Maura in shock. "Now, I understand that you each think you are right. And that you might not want to hear from me, but since you have chosen my house to argue in, I believe I have to right to tell you what I think." Go Maura.
"Yeah, tell her to stop smothering me.", said Cailin.
Maura narrowed her eyes and glared. Hope shook her head.
"She's too young to be on her own."
"Enough. It's my turn to speak. I have spent 3 weeks with Cailin. She is responsible enough to set her own schedule." I didn't know about that, but it was Maur's call.
"I told you so, Mom.", Did I sound like that with Ma when I was nineteen? Hope and Ma were both helicopter Moms. The way Hope was acting, she was poised to grab Ma's title as the Queen Helicopter Mom.
"But not responsible enough to live on her own.", Maura had her fact spouting voice going.
"Hey!", Poor Cailin wasn't expecting that.
"As long as I have to remind you to take your imuno-suppressors..."
"Now see, exactly my point. You need to stay at home until you are more able to be on your own." Hope's voice grated on my last nerve.
"Hope, could you resist over scheduling Cailin if she stays at home?"
Hope got that mulish look on her face that I knew meant she wasn't about to budge. Fortunately, I knew Maura could out stubborn anyone if she really wanted to.
"I really don't believe that three weeks with Cailin qualifies you as an expert on her schedule."
"I'm not. She is. I just don't care to listen to the two of you argue about it in my home. If you won't solve this, I will. And neither of you will like it."
Maura was showing her upbringing, and it made me like Constance even more. Besides, while the attitude was pure Constance, the choice was borrowed from Ma. If Maura had team colors, I'd root for her just like I do for the Sox. I knew I was grinning like a madwoman.
Cailin looked at Hope, back at Maura, at me, then back at Hope. Suddenly she caved. Shoulders fell, face crumpled, eyes down. "Okay, okay. I will show you my schedule and call if I need to change it. I will live at home, but you have to let me breathe." The fire bounced back when she got to that last part, and Cailin reminded me of me. I gave her a thumbs up when Hope wasn't looking.
"Cailin, how will I know if you are doing what you have on your schedule? I know how I was at your age..."
"Hope, she will never learn to be independent if you don't let her do some things on her own. I was fine living away from home all through college." Yeah, right. I remembered some of the crazy stuff Maura admitted to doing in college. I had to give her points for originality. I waited, and sure enough she was scratching her neck.
Hope opened her mouth and said, "Maybe we need another opinion." What? Wait? I hope you mean Bass. "Jane, what do you think?" I think I'd like to be away from here. I was invited to Idaho. That's nice and far away.
"Um, from what I've seen, Cailin is more responsible than I was at that age. And I was in junior college, plus I had a job, so...yeah, let her set her own schedule and if she screws up, go back to hove...I mean supervising her closely."
Hope pinned me with a look, I looked back, trying for innocent. Hope humphed,, turned to Cailin and said, "Fine." Then she went for the door. My inner brat was cheering. Cailin followed her, but she turned back, nodded at Maura and gave me a thumbs up Finally they left us in peace.
I heard Maura sigh. "Finally. I really could use some time away from my crazy family. I'm so sorry you had to deal with them."
"Isn't that usually my line? I mean, you put up with Ma's divorce, the whole deal with Tommy and TJ's baptism fiasco."
"Face it, Jane, we both have crazy families. I wish I could get out of Boston–out of New England altogether. Just for a few days."
"Perfect, because I was just going to tell you I have been invited to go to Idaho to visit a Facebook friend, and where I go, I invite you to go. How does that sound?"