Empty Nest | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Empty Nest | Previous Challenge Entry
By Cathy Grimes
09/16/09
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Whew!!! they are gone ….. finally. Jim and I sat down, or should I say collapsed, after loading the last of our daughter Jen’s things in the van she and her new husband had rented. The last of our five children was moving out. We were finally empty nesters.
That’s how we felt the day she left six months ago. The first few weeks we told ourselves how wonderful it was to be in the house alone again. Then about a week ago it hit me. My best friend was no longer within ear shot of me. She was half way across the country starting a new life with someone who, though I had known him for two years, was a stranger to me. I had to admit to myself I was lonely.
Jim was happy just puttering around in his shop; retirement seemed to suit him just fine. Maybe it was just me. I did love being around my husband, but I missed my daughter. There I said it. I missed my Jen. She was the only one of the five children that took the time to listen and be more than just my daughter but was my best friend also.
Just as I was in the middle of my pity party the phone rang.
“Hello”
“Hi Mama, it’s Jen!”
“ Jen! How good to hear your voice. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you Mama.”
“I miss you too darling. How do you like your new home?”
“The base is nice and Blake is doing fine we really like it here, but its still not like home. I miss being able to talk to you anytime I want Mama.”
“How strange you saying that I was just thinking the same thing. I miss having you close to me. Don’t worry about it soon you will be so busy with that new husband of your you won’t miss me at all.”
“Well I gotta go. I just needed to hear your voice Mama. Tell Dad hi for me. I love you both very much. I’ll call again soon.”
“Bye sweetie, I love you.”
Jim walked in just as I hung the phone up.
“Guess who that was? Jen! She just wanted to say hi.”
“I wondered when she would call I wish I had been here to talk to her I sure do miss that girl.”
“You do! I thought you liked it being just me and you.”
“Oh honey I do, but you got to admit this empty nest thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The house is so empty without the kids here.”
“Suppose we will get use to it?”
“Someday, but not right now.”
Then we both laughed, the one thing we had been looking forward to for over twenty years was finally here and all we wanted was for the empty nest to be full again.

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