CHAPTER 11
Ruby
“And then we jumped out of the airplane together. It was amazing mom!”
“Sound like you really like this guy. Like you’re growing attached to him.”
“Very funny, mom. I mean, yeah it sure helped to be attached to him for the tandem skydive. He was just so relaxed it made me feel more comfortable with everything.”
“Very exciting.”
“I told him the only way it could have been more exciting is if he would have flown the plane too. I was joking of course and then I come to find out he’s got a pilot’s license.”
“How in the world does he have a pilot’s license?”
“It’s like he’s got everything. If there’s something adventurous that humans can do he’s done it. And done it well to boot.”
“I’m glad you’re having so much fun, sweetheart. Please be safe.”
“Thanks. It’s the best time I can ever remember.”
“You’ve got that thrill seeker gene in you somehow. Must have gotten it from your father.”
“I wish he was here so he could meet Dan. They’d get along perfectly.”
My mom doesn’t say anything.
“What?”
“Ruby, are you sure this isn’t a rebound thing after what happened?”
“No. I already thought about that. I wanted to play devil’s advocate, but this is real. I’m sure.”
“Veronica called.”
This time it’s my turn to say nothing.
“She apologized. She seemed really sorry. Said you weren’t taking her calls.”
“I’m not taking any calls right now. I’m having too much fun living life. Dan’s shown me that. I put my phone down and picked up the adventure bug.”
“Daryl called too.”
“I hope you didn’t answer it.”
“I didn’t know at the time. You hadn’t called remember.”
“Unfortunately.”
“He also apologized profusely. He wants you back. He realizes he made a mistake and wants a second chance.”
“Tell him good luck with that. Maybe he can get a trial run with someone else.”
“Trial run?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“I’m just passing on the word. I wouldn’t take him back either.”
“Good.”
I’m ready to change the subject.
“Mom, I’m thinking about staying longer.”
“What about getting a job?”
“It can wait. I’m young and having fun. I feel like this is an opportunity I may not get again.”
“The fun or the guy.”
“Both.”
“Ruby, I’ve got to ask. Is there a chance that this guy might be filling the role of a father figure?”
I want to avoid the subject, but I might as well address it now. At least somewhat.
My mom’s thousands of miles away and who know what she’s thinking. She’s never even met Dan. If I can at least give her some peace of mind maybe she won’t worry about me too much.”
“I would say no, but after all the books I’ve read in my life and the few psychology classes I’ve taken in high school in college…I’d say maybe.”
“Well, at least your honest and brave enough to admit it.”
“But I have a question for you. Does that make it a bad thing?”
“No. Not necessarily. I just want to make sure you’re thinking rationally. A lot has happened in your life in such a short period of time. I just don’t want you to get involved in something that might fade after a while. Especially if you find yourself in a situation you can’t easily get yourself out of.”
“I know mom. Thanks for looking out. I’m not going to do anything crazy.”
“Like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane or getting attacked by a crocodile.”
“Accept that, I mean those things. And maybe a few more.”
“It’s just that I worry about you. You’re all I’ve got left, honey.”
“I know, mom. And you’re all that I’ve got left.”
“Randal girls cowgirl up!” my mom says.
“Randal girls cowgirl up!” I say.
I don’t think my mom’s ever seen a horse let alone ridden one, but since my dad passed she’s been using that as our kind of battle cry. It makes sense.
My dad was a military lifer. He was a year from retirement when the Humvee he was in rolled over the top of an IED. Unfortunately he didn’t make it.
Fortunately for my mom the government stepped in and did the right thing. My dad already had enough years to qualify for a pension and he died in the line of duty. It wasn’t a lot, but my mom would get enough money each month for the rest of her life that she wouldn’t have to stress out about whether she was going to eat or not.
Plus my dad was really good about sending a large majority of his paycheck back home each month. My mom was putting it away for their round the world trip. The one that very tragically and unfortunately never came.
Maybe that’s why my mom encouraged me to go to Australia with Veronica. And when Veronica backed out my mom insisted I still go through with it.
She sounded just like my dad. Telling me all the good values that doing something like this all by myself would build within me.
She was right.
And I also think my traveling allowed her to live vicariously a bit through me. But it wasn’t going to be that way for long.
Once I got a job and started making money I was determined to take her on that round the world trip she had dreamed of for years.
But I wasn’t about to tell her. And right now she wasn’t about to let me forget that I was all she had left. She was still my mom after all, and no matter how fun my adventures sounded to me I needed to make sure they sounded safe enough to her. I kind of forgot that important point during our call.
I just go so excited thinking about everything Dan and I have been doing, and how much more we had left to do.
Now that we’d made it all the way up to Cairns we get a chance to do it all over again, just in reverse fashion and maybe checking out some of the cities we missed the first time like Brisvegas...a nickname the Aussies gave to Brisbane because they roll up the sidewalks and everything shuts down so early in the evening leaving limited nightlife options. I love the way they poke fun at it by comparing it to Las Vegas with a heavy dose or irony.
It’s like our journey was only half way complete. I couldn’t wait to see what the next half brought.
“I love you. Be safe.”
“I will mom. Love you too.”
“Ciao for now.”
“Ciao for now,” I say.
And then the dial tone. I make a mental note to include Italy on the list of places for that round the world trip for my mom and me. She’s sending me subconscious signals.
I drink the last of my coffee and look out into the parking lot.
Dan is standing there leaning against the combie looking in at me like he’s seeing me for the first time all over again.
Wow, he just looks so sexy.
And an even bigger wow that he’s mine. Mine all mine.
But the trip south to Sydney is going to be a quick one. My flight out is in four days.
And what concerns me most is what happens when it’s time to go to the airport and if I can even change my ticket without having to buy a new one.
They’re super expensive, especially last minute, and I’m not about to ask Dan for money.
Not only that who’s to say he actually wants me to stay around.
I mean I sure feel like he does, but I haven’t officially asked him yet.
Part of me wants to go out there right now and get it over with. And another part of me doesn’t want to potentially put a damper on the final days of our journey. Hopefully our first of many.
It’s ironic that before he agreed to take me on that he said I didn’t want to just be someone who was part of a fun time for a foreigner’s trip to Australia. That he would be involved deeply and fully committed and didn’t want me to just leave with nothing more than a memory when the time came.
Oh how the tables have turned.
Now it’s me that’s fully committed thinking ahead to how and if this might end.
I can relate much better now to what he said back then.
He was right. It’s a tricky situation and not one to be taken lightly.
He’s a man and an adult. I’ve watched it in the way he does things since we’ve been together. How he treats everyone with respect. How he’s considerate, punctual, and always seems to put me first.
I need to learn from him and grow up more than I realized.
But the hardest part is I want to mature into a proper woman with him by my side.
He’s a strong man who can guide me when I need it and be that rock to lean on when times are tough.
I want him. I need him.
The only question now is that after all our time together does he feel the same way?