“I wasn’t planning to.”
He laughed.
A genuine laugh.
“Yeah, I figured.”
Then he hugged me.
And for the first time in a long while, I felt that my son was beginning to understand.
The financial arrangements stayed exactly as I’d changed them.
Owen and Christa managed their own phone bills.
His car insurance moved to a separate policy.
The monthly transfers didn’t resume.
And something surprising happened.
My retirement budget suddenly felt much more comfortable.
For years, I’d told myself I couldn’t afford certain things.
A new furnace.
A proper vacation.
Lessons in something I’d always wanted to learn.
But after reviewing my finances, I discovered I had more room than I’d realized.
So I replaced the old furnace before winter.
Then Cecilia and I booked a spring trip to Cape Breton.
We’d talked about driving the Cabot Trail since 1998.
And finally, at sixty-three, I signed up for cello lessons.
