Road Trip

She had spent the last week at my home because the boys were off from school and I was pretty busy at work. After being alone raising the boys for the past seven years and juggling the everyday ‘stuff”, having her there was a blessing and I liked it more than I thought I would.

She and I had started looking for homes on Long Island, she was going to move here. The decision to sell her house and relocate was made long before me, I just changed her destination – New York was never one of her options. We did view a few homes, the prices were insanely high and the taxes were ridiculous. Of course the home we both fell in love with was out of our league and the price of the taxes, just made the decision to not try to wing it all the more easier.

I was able to get a little ahead of myself at work so I worked a half day on Thursday and took off Friday and the following Monday. She and the boys met me at the office and we were on our first road trip back to her castle. I leaned in to kiss her and whispered, you sure you are ready to do this” her very honest reply was “I don’t know!”. I grabbed her hand, squeezed and said “just follow my lead, the rest will come”.

We made it off the Island and thru Brooklyn rather quickly avoiding the rush hour crunch on the Belt Parkway. The Boys were ecstatic when we saw the Welcome to New Jersey sign. How very quickly we dampened that excitement when we told them that it was going to be another hour and a half until we reached the castle. Thank god for rest stops on the New Jersey Turnpike, they do break up the ride a bit. We decided to have an early dinner on the road, once we were close to our exit the boys were ready to explode with excitement. We pulled into the driveway and the little guy asked “What country are we in again?” I’m not sure which child stated “You must be rich, only rich people have a front porch.”

She gave them the tour of the house and confirmed their suspicion of being rich when she told them the bathroom upstairs is all theirs. The boys got to know the cats and dogs that live at the castle along with the rules of engagement with each one. She and I went about making a grocery list for the next four days while the boys unpacked in the guest bedroom.

The boys woke early the next morning ready to explore. First we needed to get supplies, the boys were even excited about the local supermarket. I watched them relax, laugh with one another, play nicely and get along. I could have sat and watched them interact with one another for hours, this is what I’ve always wanted.
After the second night at the castle she and I discussed the possibility of her not relocating to Long Island, having us move to the castle instead. Saturday afternoon middle guy was quiet and complaining of ear pain and a sore throat. I took a quick look in his throat, his tonsils were swollen and red, I was sure an ear infection would follow. There was not one pediatrician from the yellow pages open, no urgent care offices that we could go to so the ER was our only option. Sure enough, he was given drops for his ear and antibiotics for his throat. I don’t think she slept to well that night, she kept getting up to check on him to see if he needed anything, I think it was to make sure he was still breathing.

That Monday morning I was on the phone with the school district as well as schools out of district for the oldest guy and his educational needs. I was not disappointed by any of the options given, she and I had discussed it further and it was settled, come September the boys would be attending school in New Jersey and living in the castle.

Monday afternoon we started to make our trek back to Long Island. There were three sad little faces staring at her in the rearview mirror, they did not want to leave. She promised that they would be back and that she did not want them to leave either. The little guy was very quiet and flushed I thought that maybe he was catching what his brother had … I was wrong. We were at the half way point of the trip when we hear “Mommy, I” …. And then it happened lunch was now in his lap. She was great about having vomit in her backseat, pulled over and we cleaned up as best we could. I wish I could say that this was his only episode on this trip, but it wasn’t. We were all very grateful to get back to my house and out of that car. She decided to call her pet sitter as she would stay on the Island to give an extra set of hands. I had a major presentation to give at work in the morning and I did not know how I was going to pull off work and a sick child.

That night we laid in bed I acknowledged her initiation into motherhood, she got a double whammy and she handled it with ease. It was that night she said “You are a great mom with great kids, they deserve to have you full time. Once you move to the castle, I want to take care of you so you can be a full time mom to them.” That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, 10 years ago I could not imagine wanting to be a full time mother but lately that is all I’ve wanted.