Disclaimer: I Don't Own anything.
There was something about the way that the rain pounded on her office windows that was unsettling. Try as she might, she was unable to focus on the paperwork that was set out in front of her. Her pen began tapping against the table. Then the song that was playing on her car radio on her way to work filled her head. She was doomed. There was no way that anything was going to be accomplished. Eventually she gave up and threw the pen down on the stack of papers.
There was something about the way that Mason looked at her this morning. His eyes were only masking the pain that was felt in his heart. It shattered her. She may not be his real Momma but she was working damn hard on making sure that he knew that he could come to her whenever he needed to. She was giving him time to grieve but he needed boundaries and structure. Cooper may not have completely agreed with her but she's been there. She knows the pain-the heartache of losing a parent. It was difficult and things may seem impossible but he has a support system.
A knock at her door startled her as she continued to stare off into space. Cooper entered and placed a wet paper bag down in front of her.
"It's really coming down out there. Luckily, I think that I managed to save your apple fritters. "
"Well, thank you." She said with a smirk.
He sat down across from her and watched her tear open the bag.
"Whatcha lookin' at me like that for?" she asked as she began to eat one of the fritters.
"Like what?"
"Like you're eying me up? Waiting for me to tell you somethin' or that some other shoe is gonna drop?"
"I'm doing no such thing. Can't a husband look at his wife from time to time?"
"Look, yes. Stare down, no. Well, is there something you wanna say or not?"
" Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
"Don't mess with me, Coop. It has already been a hell of a day and it's not even ten o'clock yet."
"There was something that I wanted to ask you about."
"Oh yeah?"
"I was thinking that since Mason will be getting off of school for summer break in a few weeks, maybe we should consider taking a vacation. You know, just the three of us?"
"A vacation?"
"Uh huh. So what do you think?"
"It will be nice to get out of here for awhile. Where were ya thinkin' of going?"
There was something about the way that his eyes hit the floor that made her think that she was not going to like his answer. And that meant one of two places. Akron, Ohio or Monroeville, Alabama. And worst case scenario…both. Which meant that Mason was either going to be meeting Cooper's parents and she was going to be getting stared down and questioned or Mason was going to be meeting her Momma and brothers and she was going to be getting and ear full from them.
"Cooper! Tell me, where were ya thinkin of going?" She glared at him over the bag of fritters that still remained in her hand despite the dampness..
" I was thinking that we could take him to meet both of our families. We haven't seen them since the wedding and he hasn't met any of them. Plus, I think it would be good for him to get a way for while. Leave all of the stress behind for a week or two. And I know you think family is messy. I get that, I do, but sometimes family might be just the right solution. "
"The right solution? Really Cooper? You think that going down to Alabama and dealing with my drunken Momma and wild brothers is gonna help him? Or that staying with your family while they are constantly judging my every move is gonna keep him from missing his own Momma? A vacation I can agree to. Going to Alabama or Ohio I cannot."
"Come on Char, don't you think it would be fun to teach him how to ride a horse and show him where you grow up? I know you and him have been reading To Kill a Mockingbird together so wouldn't it be a good experience to see where it all started?"
Maybe he did have a point there but did he really want to introduce Mason to her family? And worse, allow him to see how Cooper's parents did not like her? But family is family and lately all Mason had was her and Cooper. A little bit more support might not be a bad thing and a change of scenery might help too. She put the bag back on the desk and pushed her chair back to give them some space.
"I will consider it, under certain circumstances, that is."
"Ok, name your price."
"If we do this, we spend only a few days at each place and then the three of us will find our own place to settle down and relax for a few days."
"I was thinking that maybe we could make a road trip out of it. Take some time to do some sightseeing in between. "
"What about work? I'm sure this little road trip would take up a chunk of time."
" We have time to plan it out. If we give Addison notice and you find someone to cover for you at the hospital we will be ok. Besides Mason is still in school for a few more weeks and we don't have to leave as soon as he gets out. If we have to wait a few weeks to get everything squared away then that's fine too."
"So we are really doing this? Takin' Mason to see our families? Allowing him to see all of the chaos that goes along with all of them?"
"I guess we are," he said with a smirk.
There was something about this whole conversation that took place with the beating of the rain in the background that had her a little on edge, a feeling that probably wouldn't go away until they entered the loft after driving across the country and back. But to help Mason, she would do anything.