Fallen From Grace

Family Dinners From Hell

With a new home came new responsibilities and with a wedding on the horizon I realized I had to make changes to both my life and myself. It wouldn't be very long before I became Mrs Kimberly Cooke and with these changes brought unforeseen changes in the relationship I had between me and my parents. However loving they once were as a little girl I did not feel their love, kindness, their support and I did not feel at all liked.

It started from Mom not being able to get into my new house because I wanted to unpack boxes from my previous home into my house. I knew she was calling me previously because I could hear my phone going upstairs and I purposely wasn't answering it because I knew how that phonecall would go.

"I'll be round yours in ten minutes. I'll help you sort your kitchen out. Just stick the kettle on and we'll crack on."

But this was my house. Mine.

There was no nice way to say I didn't want her help she'd just take offence and there would be an argument, or she'd steam roll over me and start telling where I should put things - no. This was about me and I had every right to make my own decisions of where to have my kettle or which draw I should have my utensils in without any other input and more than anything I was excited to be opening and sorting my own things to put where I wanted. As helpful as Mom wanted to be this was just something I had to do myself.

Therefore, in order to be in control of the boxes I ignored her calls and I was quite enjoying myself packing things away and then I realised I needed cleaning products so I caught the bus to town (I decided to wear a suit) just to look more respected and after buying products treated myself a little lunch in a café. As I was eating away my phone starts to ring. So I pick it out of my bag and it's Dad.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

He sounds pissed off.

"I'm in town shopping why?"

"Your Mom," he starts off by saying semi calmly. "Has spent hours banging on your front door and you just left her on the drive! She is well angry and upset!"

"Why?"

I never heard nothing.

"Because you left her!"

"No, I wouldn't do that. I never heard her."

"She says you ignored her calls."

"Okay yes I did."

I admitted that because I would admit to things.

"But if I picked up she'd just invite herself over and I wanted to do it myself..."

Dad wasn't at all happy.

"And then you left her!"

"I didn't even know she was there!"

"Look. I know she can be annoying but you do me a favour and get along with her. I do you favours all the time."

"Okay."

But I was only doing it for Dad. Anyway Dad settled and ended the call positively. I then finished my food and headed back home. I arrived back with bags of cleaning products and a few clothes for me to see Andy was back. I was in the living room when Andy said he'd had a call off Dad and that he was angry and would be coming straight over right this second.

Andy was right Dad did come into my house right this second. I heard his car swerve into our driveway and just like a lioness ready to protect and attack against an angry intruder I found myself springing into action before I knew what I was going to say or do but I did use the stairs between us as a barrier because I wouldn't put it past him to hit out.