Log: Care Packages and Phonecalls
Who: Ariel and Lola
Where: The Phone
When: Sunday, 9 January 2019
What: I just called to say...
Lola hefted the bag of groceries with her left arm while opening the apartment door with her new keys. As she finally got it open, the door started to ring. Strawberry got between her feet and stumbled, starting at the tiny yelp she let out. “Oh, Mommy’s sorry, Little S,” she said, righting herself. She moved into the kitchen, setting the bag down before fishing her uPhone out of her pocket.”Hello?”
“Hi Pixie,” Ariel said quietly, “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Smiling, Lola nodded. “Yeah, I just got back from the grocery store, but I have a few moments before Santana gets back from Rachel and Quinn’s. How are you? Missing me yet?”
“Of course I miss you!” her mother gasped, “I’ve been by your side for over two decades and I think I’m going through withdrawal. Just the other day I turned to say something to you and found myself talking to nobody which seems excessively sad now that I think about it. Did you get your care package yet?”
Lola felt a twinge of sadness. It had always been her and her mother. The only time they’d been apart was those four years of college and it had taken a toll on both of them. “I did. Thanks for sending my favorite treats. At least we did Chanukah together this year. I didn’t expect to move before the Soltice and Christmas.”
Ariel exhaled loudly, “While I’m used to the holidays and Solstice being introspective it seemed very.. I’m not sure how to explain it. The rituals seem less meaningful when you’re alone. I think that’s why I had to send you a little bit of home.”
The older woman chewed her nails as she fussed with the laundry she was trying to avoid folding. She wasn’t used to her house being so quiet and after having both Santana and Lola around as often as possible the silence seemed to be deafening.
“It’s quiet here too. I love Santana’s friends, but I’ve been trying not to be that girlfriend. I want to her to feel like she can visit everyone and not worry about keeping me entertained. That doesn’t mean it’s not lonely and I think I needed a bit of home.” Lola opened the cabinets, that weren’t really hers, and set the boxes of pasta and vegan snack foods she’d managed find in them.
She was trying really hard not to expect Santana to cater to her. It had been so long since her fiancee had been home, she didn’t want to ruin it. She just couldn’t help the uneasy feeling she sometimes got. But she liked meeting all of these people from her past. Quinn and Rachel were great and Brittany was sweet. And Finn...well she wondered if she should tell her mother about Finn. Though what was there to tell?
“So how is your Muse?” her mother asked, “But more importantly is it still a pain in the caboose to find vegan food in Lima?”
Ariel had brought a few staples with them when she had visited and she knew short-term visits were fine but for months at a time? Not so much. Back when Lola was little she used to order dried food from mail order catalogues and have to make the monthly trip to Cinncinnati with several coolers in the back of their car. It was much easier to be vegan nowadays but it was still a chore in Hicksville, Ohio.
“Oh no, there’s a vegetarian and natural food store here in Findlay. I was very worried about that too. Quinn told me about it. Rachel’s vegan too. I do miss the vegan restaurants in Boston. As for my muse. I still have a little time before I need to start my next book.” She sighed, looking in the refrigerator for her bottle of water. “Santana wants to stay in Lima for a while after the wedding to be with Rachel and the babies.”
“Oh, really?” the older woman whispered, “Maybe I can come and stay for a little while? We could, if you wanted to, try to have a meal with your brother and sister while I’m there.”
Ariel flinched as she waited for her daughter’s reply. She knew that the younger woman wanted to meet them, well, meet them and know who they were. Hopefully she was up for it because the weight of the secret was getting to be too much after so many years.
Lola hesitated, juggling her phone. She hadn’t told anyone, but part of her reasoning for wanting to come to Lima was to find out about her past. Now her mother was offering her the opportunity to do just that. “I...I think I’d like that. You know, after the wedding and everything. I think that would be a good beginning to go with my new life.” “
“I’m so glad you agreed because I already talked to their mother about a potential meeting.” Ariel grinned. “She said that Phil’s son is out of contact and won’t be back for a few weeks, not that I know what that first part means. Your sister is still in high school though so she’s there if you’d like their address. It is totally up to you since I know I’m springing this on you right before your wedding.”
“I think that can wait, but high school? Really?” She had a sister young enough to be in high school. She wondered if they looked alike or if they were similar in personality. Her mind drifted for a bit before she shook her head. “I just think planning a wedding in so little time is going to be stressful enough.”
“For some reason I can’t remember her name. A flower?” she thought out loud, “She’s just a few years younger than you, Pixie. You and your brother are practically Irish twins, though.”
“Hmm...well no worries about that right now. I need to start thinking about flowers for the wedding and a venue and who I want to perform the service. I haven’t even met my future in-laws yet. I can’t believe how much goes into this,” Lola said as she looked at her calendar.
Ariel screwed up her face, “You haven’t met the Lopezes yet? I’ve found that any sort of get together takes a lot of planning and forethought. And what can I help with? I do still know some people that could help you out.”
“Not yet, but the holidays were a bit hectic. I’ll ask her about it soon,” Lola answered, leaning against the counter. “I think I’ll be able to answer the question of how you can help better after this week. I have a laundry list of things to get checked out. Hopefully, I’ll find at least half of the things I’m looking for.”
“Well, let me know what you need help with. So how long before the wedding do you want me in town. A week? Does that sound good?” she asked.
“How about longer? I don’t know. Maybe a month...unless you don’t want to be gone from home that long, which I’d totally understand. I don’t mean to be clingy,” Lola said, feeling childish.
A grin started to make its way across Ariel’s face. Whenever Lola would get nervous as a young girl she would need to be in physical contact with her mother. Whether it was holding a piece of her mother’s shirt gripped tightly in her little hand while she sat as close as possible or laying her head in her mother’s lap to have her hair stroked she needed the closeness. There was even a stretch during high school where the stressed out teen even slept in the bed with Ariel.
“I’ll be there as long as you need me baby girl, I promise,” she replied. “This is your special day and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it a day to remember.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Lola said with a sad smile. She wished she could ask her mother to come now, but she needed to handle some things on her own. She knew. “I can’t stay on for much longer. I should fix dinner and spend some time with Strawberry. I think she’s a little homesick too.”
“I’ll let you go then sweetie so you can snuggle with Strawberry and get your dinner ready. Call me any time you need to.” Ariel countered, “It doesn’t matter if it’s late or early. I love you Lola.”
Lola didn’t know why tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away and nodded. She looked down at her shoes, getting control over her emotions. Maybe her period was on its way or something. “I know, Mom. I love you too. I’ll call again real soon, okay?”
With a hitch in her voice Ariel replied, “O-okay. I miss you. Bye sweetie.”
“I miss you too. Bye, Mom.”
Where: The Phone
When: Sunday, 9 January 2019
What: I just called to say...
Lola hefted the bag of groceries with her left arm while opening the apartment door with her new keys. As she finally got it open, the door started to ring. Strawberry got between her feet and stumbled, starting at the tiny yelp she let out. “Oh, Mommy’s sorry, Little S,” she said, righting herself. She moved into the kitchen, setting the bag down before fishing her uPhone out of her pocket.”Hello?”
“Hi Pixie,” Ariel said quietly, “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Smiling, Lola nodded. “Yeah, I just got back from the grocery store, but I have a few moments before Santana gets back from Rachel and Quinn’s. How are you? Missing me yet?”
“Of course I miss you!” her mother gasped, “I’ve been by your side for over two decades and I think I’m going through withdrawal. Just the other day I turned to say something to you and found myself talking to nobody which seems excessively sad now that I think about it. Did you get your care package yet?”
Lola felt a twinge of sadness. It had always been her and her mother. The only time they’d been apart was those four years of college and it had taken a toll on both of them. “I did. Thanks for sending my favorite treats. At least we did Chanukah together this year. I didn’t expect to move before the Soltice and Christmas.”
Ariel exhaled loudly, “While I’m used to the holidays and Solstice being introspective it seemed very.. I’m not sure how to explain it. The rituals seem less meaningful when you’re alone. I think that’s why I had to send you a little bit of home.”
The older woman chewed her nails as she fussed with the laundry she was trying to avoid folding. She wasn’t used to her house being so quiet and after having both Santana and Lola around as often as possible the silence seemed to be deafening.
“It’s quiet here too. I love Santana’s friends, but I’ve been trying not to be that girlfriend. I want to her to feel like she can visit everyone and not worry about keeping me entertained. That doesn’t mean it’s not lonely and I think I needed a bit of home.” Lola opened the cabinets, that weren’t really hers, and set the boxes of pasta and vegan snack foods she’d managed find in them.
She was trying really hard not to expect Santana to cater to her. It had been so long since her fiancee had been home, she didn’t want to ruin it. She just couldn’t help the uneasy feeling she sometimes got. But she liked meeting all of these people from her past. Quinn and Rachel were great and Brittany was sweet. And Finn...well she wondered if she should tell her mother about Finn. Though what was there to tell?
“So how is your Muse?” her mother asked, “But more importantly is it still a pain in the caboose to find vegan food in Lima?”
Ariel had brought a few staples with them when she had visited and she knew short-term visits were fine but for months at a time? Not so much. Back when Lola was little she used to order dried food from mail order catalogues and have to make the monthly trip to Cinncinnati with several coolers in the back of their car. It was much easier to be vegan nowadays but it was still a chore in Hicksville, Ohio.
“Oh no, there’s a vegetarian and natural food store here in Findlay. I was very worried about that too. Quinn told me about it. Rachel’s vegan too. I do miss the vegan restaurants in Boston. As for my muse. I still have a little time before I need to start my next book.” She sighed, looking in the refrigerator for her bottle of water. “Santana wants to stay in Lima for a while after the wedding to be with Rachel and the babies.”
“Oh, really?” the older woman whispered, “Maybe I can come and stay for a little while? We could, if you wanted to, try to have a meal with your brother and sister while I’m there.”
Ariel flinched as she waited for her daughter’s reply. She knew that the younger woman wanted to meet them, well, meet them and know who they were. Hopefully she was up for it because the weight of the secret was getting to be too much after so many years.
Lola hesitated, juggling her phone. She hadn’t told anyone, but part of her reasoning for wanting to come to Lima was to find out about her past. Now her mother was offering her the opportunity to do just that. “I...I think I’d like that. You know, after the wedding and everything. I think that would be a good beginning to go with my new life.” “
“I’m so glad you agreed because I already talked to their mother about a potential meeting.” Ariel grinned. “She said that Phil’s son is out of contact and won’t be back for a few weeks, not that I know what that first part means. Your sister is still in high school though so she’s there if you’d like their address. It is totally up to you since I know I’m springing this on you right before your wedding.”
“I think that can wait, but high school? Really?” She had a sister young enough to be in high school. She wondered if they looked alike or if they were similar in personality. Her mind drifted for a bit before she shook her head. “I just think planning a wedding in so little time is going to be stressful enough.”
“For some reason I can’t remember her name. A flower?” she thought out loud, “She’s just a few years younger than you, Pixie. You and your brother are practically Irish twins, though.”
“Hmm...well no worries about that right now. I need to start thinking about flowers for the wedding and a venue and who I want to perform the service. I haven’t even met my future in-laws yet. I can’t believe how much goes into this,” Lola said as she looked at her calendar.
Ariel screwed up her face, “You haven’t met the Lopezes yet? I’ve found that any sort of get together takes a lot of planning and forethought. And what can I help with? I do still know some people that could help you out.”
“Not yet, but the holidays were a bit hectic. I’ll ask her about it soon,” Lola answered, leaning against the counter. “I think I’ll be able to answer the question of how you can help better after this week. I have a laundry list of things to get checked out. Hopefully, I’ll find at least half of the things I’m looking for.”
“Well, let me know what you need help with. So how long before the wedding do you want me in town. A week? Does that sound good?” she asked.
“How about longer? I don’t know. Maybe a month...unless you don’t want to be gone from home that long, which I’d totally understand. I don’t mean to be clingy,” Lola said, feeling childish.
A grin started to make its way across Ariel’s face. Whenever Lola would get nervous as a young girl she would need to be in physical contact with her mother. Whether it was holding a piece of her mother’s shirt gripped tightly in her little hand while she sat as close as possible or laying her head in her mother’s lap to have her hair stroked she needed the closeness. There was even a stretch during high school where the stressed out teen even slept in the bed with Ariel.
“I’ll be there as long as you need me baby girl, I promise,” she replied. “This is your special day and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it a day to remember.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Lola said with a sad smile. She wished she could ask her mother to come now, but she needed to handle some things on her own. She knew. “I can’t stay on for much longer. I should fix dinner and spend some time with Strawberry. I think she’s a little homesick too.”
“I’ll let you go then sweetie so you can snuggle with Strawberry and get your dinner ready. Call me any time you need to.” Ariel countered, “It doesn’t matter if it’s late or early. I love you Lola.”
Lola didn’t know why tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away and nodded. She looked down at her shoes, getting control over her emotions. Maybe her period was on its way or something. “I know, Mom. I love you too. I’ll call again real soon, okay?”
With a hitch in her voice Ariel replied, “O-okay. I miss you. Bye sweetie.”
“I miss you too. Bye, Mom.”