When You Least Expect It (62 page)

~~~

              That evening, Amanda talked to Ray on the phone, spilling her guts.  “Ray, my life is changing so fast, and in so many ways.  Most of it is good ways, some of it is horrific, but, well, it’s just so much.  I don’t even know how to deal with it, or figure out where I fit into it all.”  She stopped to take a breath.  “It’s so overwhelming!”

             
Ray laughed.  “Dang Amanda, slow down!  You don’t have to make any life-altering decisions today.  You’re right about one thing, things are flying at you left and right, you hardly have had any time to digest them.  You will, and then I know everything will just fall into place, if it’s right.”

             
Amanda knew Ray was right.  Things were going to continue to happen at an alarming rate.  Elisa’s wedding, Alex going off to college, where she should end up and how in the world was she going to pay for it all.

             
“Hello, you still there?”

             
“I’m sorry Ray, my head is spinning.  Let me run this by you; I think I’m going to sell the house.”

             
He was stunned.  “Wow, there’s another life-altering decision.  Where did that come from?”

             
“I need money, and lots of it.  I haven’t heard if Randy is going to help with the wedding, but whether he is or not, I’ll probably have to come up with thousands of dollars.  I don’t have it, Ray.  I have no savings whatsoever, and there’s no way I can save that much before I need it.  It seems like my only option.”

             
“Where will you live, Mandy?  It seems like the house is the only thing you have left.”  He was worried that if her empty nest included a new nest, she’d have a hard time recovering on her own.

             
“I’ll rent a small apartment.  Alex won’t be living here anymore, but I can still get a two bedroom for when he comes back in the summers.  The house has become a burden, this might be better for me. For now, it seems right.”

             
“As long as you think it through, Mandy, and can live with the decision, it sounds like a good idea.”

             
“I don’t know Ray; I was just throwing it out there.  I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I had a realtor come out and tell me what he thought.  We’ll see.”

             
Ray hesitated before asking this next question.  “Not that I’m pressuring you or anything, but have you thought any more about moving out here?”

             
Amanda didn’t want to admit that she thought about it all the time.  Instead, she said, “No, how about you?  Are you ready to become a Texan yet?”

             
Ray laughed.  “Why yes, li’l dahling, always.”  His tone took on a more serious note.  “I wish I could, Mandy.  I’d be there tomorrow.  I just can’t right now.’

             
Amanda sighed.  “Neither can I.  I guess it’s something that won’t ever change between us, Ray.”

          Ray disagreed.  “Something will change, Mandy, you’ll see.  If it’s meant to be, something will happen, and I firmly believe that it is.”

              Amanda stayed quiet, her mood shifting.  “I hope you’re right Ray.  I think I’m going to call it a night.  Thanks for listening to my ramblings.”

             
“I love you, Mandy.  Don’t give up hope.  Everything is going to turn out alright, I promise.”

             
Amanda hung up, feeling dejected.  She wished she could feel the same way.

~~~

              The next day at work, Ray decided to check out the job prospects in El Paso.  Unfortunately, there were not many options.  The thing of it was he had alimony and child support to pay…and a lot of it.  Even though the cost of living was much lower, as were the salaries, he still had to make a certain amount to continue to live up to his court ordered obligations.  As usual, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

             
He sent off a quick email to Amanda telling her what he was doing, and what he’d found.  He didn’t want her to think that he wasn’t even looking into moving or finding out his options. 

~~~

Alex was excited about going to college.  It was a dream coming true.  He was going to get to live in a dorm, go to parties and live life as an adult, without too many of the adult responsibilities.  It was great!

             
Alex only had one hesitation about leaving, and that was leaving behind his mother.  Would she be okay all alone in the house?  Would she become sad and lonely, or would she see this as a new beginning and live life to its fullest?  He wasn’t sure.  The one thing he was sure of was that there was no way he could leave town if his mother didn’t want him to.  He’d have to talk to her about it.

             
He got ready for work.  He was working the day shift now.  He left his mother a note that he would bring dinner home from the restaurant.  He hoped he could catch a ride.

~~~

             
Amanda had arranged for a realtor to come over to appraise her house while Alex was at work.   She was so nervous about it, but she had to do it on her own because she didn’t want anyone else to know.

             
The doorbell came and she was happy to find a distinguished older man at her door.  “Mr. Walden?”

             
“Hi, Amanda, it’s nice to meet you.”

             
Jamie looked around her small home.  “This is nice.  Cozy.  How many people live here?”

             
“Right now, there’s just my son and I.”  She took him around to show him the rest of the house, telling him how much she’d paid, the mortgage, and answering all the other questions he had for her. 

             
“I think we could sell this house for twenty-five thousand more than you bought it for.”

             
Amanda’s eyes widened.  “I’ve only lived here six years!”

             
“The value of the neighborhood has increased over the years.  You’re lucky.  This would be a perfect time to sell, if that’s where you’re heading.
              She looked around at her home, trying to hide the excitement she felt.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  She listened as he told her everything his job would entail if she chose to hire him.  The next thing she knew, she was signing the papers that would make Jamie Walden
her
realtor!

             
“It will only take a few days to get the ball rolling, Amanda.  I will be back to put a ‘for sale’ sign out front and a realtor lock on the door so other realtors can show it when you aren’t home.  Okay?”

             
Surprisingly, Amanda nodded.  She shook his hand and thanked him, then showed him to the door.  As she shut the door behind him, she turned around and with her back against the door shouted, “I’m actually doing this!”  She felt exhilarated, proving to her that this must be the right decision.  She was so excited, she ran to the phone to call Ray. 

             
“Guess what?”

             
He loved hearing her sound so excited.  “What?”

             
“My house is going on the market!”  She giggled uncontrollably.

             
“What?  So soon?  Wow, Mandy, are you sure?”

             
“I’ve never been surer.  This is the answer to so many of my problems.  A tremendous burden will no longer exist, and will solve other burdens.  I feel good about this; no wait, I feel great!”

             
Amanda’s exuberance was contagious.  Ray couldn’t help but laugh with her.  “I’m happy for you, then.  So now, you sell the house, and then what?”

             
“Oh Ray, don’t spoil the mood with logistics.  Everything will pan out fine.  I’m sure the house won’t sell overnight, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”

             
Ray wasn’t sure this was the right way to approach this, but he decided to wait until the next conversation to say it.  Amanda deserved this night of happiness.

~~~

                            Alex brought home two carne asada burritos for dinner, happy he hadn’t had to carry them on the bus.  He yelled out as soon as he got home.  “Dinner’s here!”

             
Amanda came running out of the bedroom.  “I’m starved!  Thanks so much for doing this.”  She happily set the table, humming as she poured the drinks.

             
“You’re in a good mood today, Mom.”  He sat down and dug right into his dinner.  “So what’s up?”

             
“I made a decision today, Alex.  I’m selling the house.”

             
Alex stopped mid-chomp.  “What?  Where will we live?  Why, Mom?”  He was incredulous.

             
Amanda went into her well-prepared speech.  She explained the why, when’s and where’s about it.  She explained how she needed money, and how hard it was for her to take care of the house on her own.  She explained and explained until she saw that the wrinkles in her sons’ forehead were gone.  “The bottom line honey is this.  Home is wherever I am.  Yes, you’ll come home from college and the place will be different, but it’ll be the home you've always known; the home I’ve always provided for you.  Home is here.”  She pointed to her heart.  “I love you, Alex.  This is the right decision for me.  Please understand.  I know change is hard, but my life is changing all around me.  I’m doing my best to try and change with it, but you have to change with me too.”
              Alex stared at Amanda, trying his best to grasp what she was saying.  He did understand, in fact, it kind of answered his question from earlier.  His mother
was
going to be okay, in her own way.  He just had to let it happen.  He grabbed her hand, even though his had sour cream and guacamole from the burrito.  “Mom, I just have one question…when do we move?”

             
Amanda laughed and jumped up to hug her son.  “Thank you, Alex.”  She sat back down and her mood shifted a little.  “That I don’t know.  We’ll have to see when and if the house sells.  We’ll just take it a day at a time, okay?”  The shadow of fear of the unknown passed across her face for a brief second.  “I’m sure everything will be fine and fall right into place.  Your job is to get ready to go away to college and not worry about any of this, okay?”

             
“Okay.  Does Elisa know?”

             
Amanda hesitated, even dreading to think about her reaction.  “Not yet, but I’ll tell her soon.”  Out of everyone in the family, Elisa hated change the worse. 

             
“She won’t care; she doesn’t even live here anymore.’ 

             
Amanda hoped Alex was right.

~~~

              Amanda woke up the next morning to pounding on her front door.  Startled, she ran to answer it, forgetting she was in her pajamas. 

             
Hilary stood there, in shock.  She stared at her sister for a minute.

             
“Hilary, what is it, what’s wrong?  Is it Susie?”

             
“No, what the hell is a ‘for sale’ sign doing on your front lawn?”

             
Amanda peeked around her sister to see the sign.  “Wow, he moves fast.”  She dragged her sister into the house.  “What are you doing here so early?”

             
“I thought I’d be the good sister and give you and Alex rides to work today.  Why didn’t you tell me, Mandy?”

             
Amanda held her hand.  “I just decided last night.  I was going to tell you today.  It’s no big deal Hil.  I just need the money.  Get a grip.  Alex is leaving anyway, I’ll be much happier in a smaller apartment, living by myself.”

             
Hilary laughed and punched Amanda in the arm.  “You dope!  I thought you were going to tell me you were moving to Maine!”

             
Amanda punched her back.  “You’re the dope!  That’s what you get for assuming.  Let me run and get ready, I definitely want that ride.”

             
“Me too!”  Alex yelled from his bedroom.  “Don’t leave without me!”

             
Amanda hurriedly dressed until she heard a blood-curdling scream from outside.  She stopped and looked out her bedroom window.  “Oh no!”  She ran outside where Elisa stood staring at the sign.”

             
“Mom, what the hell is going on?”

             
“Elisa, come inside and I’ll tell you.  Stop making a scene.”  She tried to walk her in, but Elisa wanted nothing to do with it.  “Tell me
now
, Mom.  Why am I coming over to
my
house and finding out it’s for sale.  Why didn’t you tell me?”  Elisa started to cry. 

             
“I just decided last night.  I had no idea that sign would be there so fast.  I was going to tell you today.”