Moving?
We've been back from California for a month and Ma is being WAY overprotective. We had both fully moved into Mom's apartment and everyone had their own space. It was nice. Mom and Ma shared a room and we had a guest room. Mom and I decorated my room. Life seemed good.
Then out of the blue Ma decides that she doesn't want me living in the city. Mom had just gotten a promotion to bureau chief. Liv decided that we would all be safer upstate. So with Mom's signing bonus and part of her trust she bought a brownstone upstate. Now granted I'm excited about living upstate but I also find it a completely useless move because now they are going to have a farther drive to work and to pick me up from school. So Mom and Ma found the brownstone and then told me about the idea.
"Chayse! We need to speak with you!" Ma yelled up the stairs.
"Yea?" I asked. I came to the top of the stairs and stopped. I was in the middle of straightening my hair for Christmas the next day. Ma signaled for me to come down the stairs and I did even though I wasn't happy about stopping my progress.
"Mom and I would like to speak to you." It took all I had not to roll my eyes. Ever since I had started calling them 'mom' and 'ma' they took to calling each other that when they were talking to me.
"Okay?" I looked between both of them as I sat down in the chair and Ma sat down next to Mom on the couch.
"Well Chayse, as you know, I've just gotten a new position and with the extra money that I'll be making plus with part of my trust fund your Ma and I have decided that we need a break from the city… We've bought a brownstone in upstate!" I just looked between them and then shrugged my shoulders.
"Okay, so when do we move?" I could tell by the looks they were giving me they didn't get the excitement they were hoping for. I sat in the chair with my arms crossed waiting for one for one of them to answer.
"Well, since you're on Christmas break we thought we'd start packing up the day after tomorrow… Are you happy?" I shrugged my shoulders again.
"We moved a lot when I was younger… I'm used to it… Do I get to decorate my room?" Mom and Ma both nodded. I nodded my head and smiled.
"So, you are okay with this?" I had to stifle a laugh. Leave it to Ma to be excited about the idea and then ask me a million times if I was okay with it.
"Yes Ma, its fine." I stood up and walked over to the couch. I leaned over and kissed her cheek before kissing Mom's cheek and heading back upstairs to finish my hair. I was excited about moving and getting a fresh start with both of them.
I finished straightening my hair and then went into my room. I looked around at all the stuff that would have to be boxed back up. Since we had just gotten back from LA a month ago I had just finished unpacking all the stuff we had shipped back to New York. I shook my head and then left my room and headed downstairs. The mothers were sitting on the couch talking. I walked up and flopped down in the chair. It took them both a minute to notice that I was there.
"I just think that…" Ma stopped talking when Mom noticed I was sitting there. She pointed to me and I waved and fake smiled.
"Talking about me?" Ma shook her head but I could tell she was lying.
"We were just discussing some things… So are you excited about tomorrow?" I shrugged my shoulders. I had never really celebrated Christmas. When I was really young and Ma lived with us my mom lied and said we were Jewish. Then once we'd moved my mom would just tell me I wasn't good enough to celebrate Christmas.
"Sure, I don't know… It'll be a whole new experience." Ma nodded and then came and sat down next to me in the chair. She put her arm around my shoulder and I laid my head on her shoulder. Mom smiled before grabbing the camera she always seemed to have around and snapped a picture. I swore I was going to have to go through the whole house and remove all the cameras before we moved. Ma agreed with me.
We sat there for awhile until Ma's stomach growled. Followed closely by Mom's and mine. We all laughed and then Mom got up to go see what we had to make for dinner. Ma and I just sat there until she moved from the chair to the coffee table.
"I know you're tired of hearing it and that it's not technically my fault but I'm sorry that you went through what you did." I rolled my eyes and sat forward so we were almost forehead to forehead.
"Ma… I know you feel like you let me down but you didn't. You saved me when you found out I was in trouble… I can't ask for much more. Yes, I don't know what Christmas is like but now you and mom will get to show me the experience the right way." Ma nodded my head and then sat up and kissed my forehead. She stood up and held out her hands. I grabbed them and she pulled me out of the chair. We went into the kitchen to find mom searching through the cabinets.
"We have no food!" Ma and I laughed. This was a normal occurrence because Ma couldn't cook and well I didn't even try. We did however now how to dial for takeout and order in point 10 seconds flat.
"That's nothing new… Why don't we order takeout? I'm thinking Chinese." Ma nodded in agreement and slung her arm over my shoulder. Mom finally agreed and ordered the food. Ma ran upstairs to shower and put on comfy clothes while Mom and I sat chilled on the couch. Ma had just gotten home from work right before she called me downstairs. Mom had been home with me all day because heaven forbid I be allowed to stay alone.
"Your hair looks good… What exactly did you do to it?" Mom asked as she messed with a piece that was hanging in my face.
"I straightened it. I used that 'gizmo' you bought me to pull the curl out of my hair." Mom nodded and then looked over at the stairs. Ma was coming downstairs drying her hair with a towel. She took the towel to the laundry room and walked back out pulling her hair into a pony tail.
Mom didn't seem to understand how a straightener worked. She just called it a 'gizmo' whenever I used it. Ma used one too but not as often as I did. Ma pushed my legs off the couch and sat down next to me. I kicked my legs back onto the couch and rested them on her lap.
"Do I look like a foot stool?" I nodded my head and Mom started laughing.
"A little… My legs were there first." I stuck my tongue out at her and used my arms as a shield as a pillow came flying at me.
Ma pushed my legs off her again and I tried to kick them back up but she grabbed my ankles with her hands. I sat up some and turned so I was facing forward. Before I'd been leaning on Mom. I sank down into the couch a little and kicked my feet up on the coffee table. I crossed my arms and leaned towards Ma. My head was resting on her arm. Mom got up and went upstairs to take a shower.
We both sat in silence. I stared at the fish in the tank that Ma had bought when we first moved in with Mom. Ma was staring at the wall. Ma got up when the doorbell rang. She paid the Chinese guy and then headed into the kitchen. I waited a few seconds before following her. Mom met me in the doorway. She was just coming downstairs. Everyone made a plate and then we went and sat down at the table. We all ate in silence.
When I was finished eating I left the table and took my stuff to the kitchen. I heard Ma's cell phone ring and rolled my eyes. She was going to work again. I set everything down in the sink and then went back out into the dining area. Ma and Mom were still sitting at the table. Neither one was eating. Both plates were empty. They were both just staring at them. Ma was off the phone but it was sitting next to her. I took her plate and Mom's. I put them in the kitchen and then left and headed for the stairs. Ma was on her way up stairs, I ran up the bottom ones to catch up with her.
"When will you be home?" Ma looked at me confused.
"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere." Now it was my turn to look confused. It had been her work ringtone. I was sure there was a case.
"I thought you had to go to work." Ma shook her head and I let out the breath I had been holding.
"It was just Elliot confirming the plans for tomorrow…" I nodded my head and then headed to my room.
I walked in and turned to watch Ma walk into her room. I shut my door and locked it. I had presents to finish wrapping. I pulled out the last few presents and began wrapping them. Once I was done I carried them all downstairs and laid them under the tree. Mom was positioning presents in our stockings. Ma came down with an armful of presents and laid them under the tree.
"That's a lot of presents," I said. I sat down on the couch and Ma pushed me forward and then sat down behind me so I was leaning on her. I leaned back and she ran her fingers through my hair. The oil from her skin was going to make it recurl but I didn't care. I'd fix it again the next day. Mom came and picked up my feet. She sat down and then repositioned my feet on her lap. We all stared at the Christmas tree.
I'd never admit this to anyone but I was excited about celebrating Christmas. I knew what it meant to celebrate but never got to get excited about getting presents. Ma and Mom had no idea how excited. I'd managed to play it down but if I had been in LA at this point in time it would probably be in the ground. I was really beginning to fear for my life. I thanked God most days for being able to be here with them and not back in LA.
"Mom let's me put my feet on her," I said after I couldn't take the silence anymore. Ma hit me in the arm and then hugged me from behind.
"Smarty pants! She must have no sense of smell." I looked back at her and then started pouting.
"My feet don't stink! You are just a meanie!" Mom and Ma laughed. Ma always found moments like these to be funny. She also found them to be like old times. I stood up and then moved over to the chair. I sat down cross legged and then crossed my arms. I was going into full pout mode.
"Here she goes… It still doesn't work," Ma said. She got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. She kissed the top of my head as she walked by. I pulled away from her and gave her a half glare. Mom was still sitting on the couch trying not to laugh.
"You know it never works, right?" I nodded my head and dropped the pout. I sat back in the chair and watched over my head for Ma to come back.
Ma came walking back in with three mugs of hot chocolate. She handed me one and I leaned forward to set it on the coffee table. Mom and Ma both looked at me like I was crazy.
"You don't like hot chocolate?" I rolled my eyes and sat back in the chair.
"I'm allergic to chocolate… It would kill me if I drank it." Ma smacked her forehead and then ran her hand down her face.
"I'm sorry… I forgot." I shrugged my shoulders and went back to watching out the window.
"It's cool… Just no kissing me until you've washed your lips. Just having contact with it will set me off." Ma and Mom nodded their heads. Mom leaned against Ma. It was nice seeing them having a moment. Most of the time they were either both working or one of them was with me. I felt bad that they didn't get alone time but both had assured me that they didn't care.
"So Squirrel, is there anything special you want to do tomorrow?" I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know. It was my first Christmas and I was excited about it but there wasn't anything special I wanted to do.
"Not really, just want to have a good day!" The mom's nodded their heads. I sunk down in the chair and tried to stifle a yawn.
"Looks like someone is tired," Mom said. I shook my head but couldn't help but yawn again.
"A little… I guess I'm gonna go to bed. Night!" I got up and headed upstairs.
"I'll be up to say goodnight once I finish my hot chocolate," Ma said. I nodded my head at the top of the stairs. I went into my room and lay down on my bed. I curled up with 'Wivia' and waited for the mom's to come up. I must have fallen asleep before the mom's came up because I don't remember saying goodnight to them.