Episode 1137: What Might Have Been

Sarette pressed a kiss to his cheek in greeting. She removed her high heels and stepped into the kitchen immediately started for the coffee maker. She reached into the cupboard for two mugs and two small plates. She placed a large cinnamon roll on each plate, the scent engulfing the room.

“It’s polite to bring a little something when you visit someone, besides you sounded strange on the phone and not just because you extending an invitation rather than me inviting myself over is odd, so I thought some extra comforting treats might be welcome.”

She brought the coffee to the nook where Paul and the cinnamon buns sat. “So talk to your mama, what’s on your mind?”

Paul took a moment to enjoy a bite of cinnamon bun, savoring the thick coating of frosting spiraled on top, hoping the jolt of sugar would bolster him for the conversation ahead.

“I want… I want to talk to you about your daughter, if that’s okay?”

They’d discussed it before, still the subject had mostly just hovered in the background since his mom had told him six or seven years ago. They’d attended that wedding together but regularly speaking about Avalon wasn’t something they did. It wasn’t information his mom wanted to get out to his dad or anyone else and on top of that Paul knew it wasn’t easy subject matter for his mother given how rarely she mentioned it, so out of respect neither did he. Usually.

“If you’re interested in building some kind of bond with your sister, well, that wouldn’t be my first choice since her in-laws traffic in our circles and I’d rather no one started speculating-” She shook her head. “No. If this is something you really want, if this is something you need in your life to be happier then you should reach out to Avalon. I wouldn’t get my hopes up though, Paul, Ava’s only been intermittently receptive to any overtures I’ve mounted, understandably she still struggles with my decision to give her up. Just be prepared, she may react warmly, she really is a lovely person, but she may push you away which has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me.”

Paul nodded even though reaching out to his sister wasn’t really what he was after just then. “Do you think if you’d gotten to know her earlier in life that she’d still feel so hot and cold towards you?”

Episode 1138: A Rock and A Hard Place