Chapters (31)
“Life can’t always be fun. There’s a lesson right there. A good life is a balance between doing what you have to do and what you want to do. I’m sure you’re both going to rise to the challenge.” And so was she. She was going to take a close look at the balance in her own life.
“But if you’re not cooking and we can’t order pizza, what do we eat tonight?”
“That’s up to you.” For the first time she was giving them neither the menu, nor the ingredients. “Be creative.”
“We’ll probably die of malnutrition.” Caitlin, the drama queen.
“I doubt that.” Liza carried her bag to the door. Was this too extreme? Was she overreacting? By leaving them to cope alone would she simply increase her workload when she returned?
“But when will you be back?” Alice added her voice to her sister’s. “There’s always so much to do before our holiday.”
Liza paused in the doorway. “And I’m the one who does all of it. Right now, I’m not sure I have the energy.”
Ignoring Alice’s shocked expression, she headed down the stairs and opened the front door. The car sat in the drive like a friend, waiting to whisk her away. On impulse she opened the garage, pulled out a large box and loaded it into the car.
Alice and Caitlin hovered on the doorstep.
“You said you didn’t trust us after what happened last time.”
They didn’t want her to leave, but Liza knew that right now that had less to do with affection and more to do with the fact that she was inconveniencing them.
“You think I’m controlling, and you want me to leave you alone so that’s what I’m doing. Consider this to be an advanced course in Looking After Yourself. I expect you to graduate with top marks.”
“But—” Alice looked alarmed. “You’ll be back for France, right?”
Would she?
Liza slung her bag into the car and slid into the driver’s seat, feeling liberated. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she had only herself to think about.
She turned off her phone.
“Wait!” Caitlin hammered on her window. “You didn’t answer the question about France.”
Because she didn’t have the answer. All she knew for sure was that she needed to get away. She needed to do something for herself. And so far that felt good.
Liza opened the window a crack. “Behave yourselves.”
With a quick wave to the girls, she reversed out of the drive.
Next stop Oakwood Cottage.
Her mother wasn’t the only one going on a road trip. Hers might not be considered glamorous by comparison, but right now it felt like the biggest adventure of her life.
Happy Anniversary, Liza.