Although the drive to Jon’s was comfortable, they were both lost in their thoughts and there was not very much talking. It was late when they arrived and after bringing in their packages, Jon grabbed two wines for them and they sat in the living room just relaxing. All during the drive, Jon’s mind had been whirling. He knew from talking to Richie that he needed to take things slow, but even though he had asked her to come to New Jersey with him and had told her he was ‘keeping her’, he hadn’t asked her to live with him. He wanted to do that and after what had happened tonight, he wanted it even more.
Sitting together, sipping their wine, he turned toward her. Her eyes were a little unfocused and he could tell that she was also thinking deeply. Wish I knew what she was thinking. Damn, how soon is TOO soon? I want her to stay with me!
“I’m really glad we got that shopping done today. It will allow me to spend time with mom tomorrow.”
Although she was talking about pretty mundane things, Jon felt that wasn’t where her true thoughts were at the time.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. With Christmas so close, I’m glad to get that all done.”
“So, mom comes in tomorrow about eleven, right?”
“Yeah, we’ll be there to meet her and I’ll make sure we’re early as the airport is pretty damn big.”
“Thanks, honey, I’m so glad you arranged for her to come here for the holiday.”
Kissing her softly, he answered. “You’re welcome, baby, I like your mom.”
Mumbling now, she replied, “I hope yours likes me.”
“She will and so will my dad. I have another brother, too, Tony. He’s a really good guy. Actually, Matt is too. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with him on your first meeting.”
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been my first choice of a way to meet a member of your family, but things do happen.”
Jon was thinking that he had not yet called his parents about Amanda. Mentally smacking himself in the forehead, he vowed he would call tonight. Getting a fire going as the room was chilling rapidly, Jon excused himself to make some phone calls.
Entering his office, he dialed his parents’ home. His mother answered.
“Hey mom!”
“Jon! Hi honey! How are you?”
“Really good. How’s dad?”
“Moaning about all the cookies I’m making even while he has to taste each and every kind, as usual. What about you? When did you get back home?”
“Sorry, mom, I’ve been home since late last Saturday night. I should have called sooner. I really am sorry about that.”
Carol Bongiovi laughed, “Yes, you should have called your mother, but in the spirit of Christmas…”
Jon finished, “…you’ll let me live…”
“You’ve got it. So, I talked to Dot over a week ago and we’re doing Christmas morning with the kids at her house, right?”
“Yeah, that’s all set. She and I have been talking too.”
“Everything okay, honey?”
“Yeah, mom, things are really good.”
There was a silence from his mother’s end of the phone. Carol felt she knew her son and wasn’t one to mince words.
“Jon, you know about Dot and Eric, right?”
“I do, that’s one of the things she and I have been talking about.”
“And what are some of the other things, Jonny?”
Damn! What IS it about women? Jon knew that tone in his mother’s voice.
“I’ve met someone, mom.”
“I’m guessing this is not just something casual then?”
“No, mom, it’s pretty serious.”
“Jon, this is your mother, talk to me.”
Feeling again like a teenager trying to explain why he was hours late coming home, Jon told his mother about Amanda. He, like Amanda, gave an edited version of their meeting, finishing with the fact that she was here with him in New Jersey.
“You brought a woman home?” His mother actually sounded a bit shocked.
“Mom, I’m divorced and Dot is getting remarried, so yes, I brought someone home with me.”
“Are your father and I going to get to meet her?”
“If Dot agrees, she and her mother will be coming to their house later in the day on Christmas.”
“Her mother?”
“Yeah, her mom is flying in from Florida tomorrow and staying until the 26th.”
“So you’ve met her mother?”
“Yes, before Amanda and I left Florida.”
“Jon, how serious is this?”
Taking a deep breath, he answered her. “Mom, I love her.”
He heard his mother also take a deep breath on her end of the phone. “I see.” Her voice was flat and without inflection.
“No, mom, you don’t yet, but you will. Be happy for me, mom, I never thought this would happen again in my life.”
“Oh Jonny, I just don’t want you to make a mistake.”
“Believe me, this is no mistake. It’s one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”
Carol Bongiovi’s voice was doubtful, but she replied, “Okay, honey, then dad and I will see you at Dot’s on Christmas.”
“Just give her a chance, mom, and believe that I know what I’m doing, okay?”
“Alright sweetie. I love you!”
Sitting together, sipping their wine, he turned toward her. Her eyes were a little unfocused and he could tell that she was also thinking deeply. Wish I knew what she was thinking. Damn, how soon is TOO soon? I want her to stay with me!
“I’m really glad we got that shopping done today. It will allow me to spend time with mom tomorrow.”
Although she was talking about pretty mundane things, Jon felt that wasn’t where her true thoughts were at the time.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. With Christmas so close, I’m glad to get that all done.”
“So, mom comes in tomorrow about eleven, right?”
“Yeah, we’ll be there to meet her and I’ll make sure we’re early as the airport is pretty damn big.”
“Thanks, honey, I’m so glad you arranged for her to come here for the holiday.”
Kissing her softly, he answered. “You’re welcome, baby, I like your mom.”
Mumbling now, she replied, “I hope yours likes me.”
“She will and so will my dad. I have another brother, too, Tony. He’s a really good guy. Actually, Matt is too. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with him on your first meeting.”
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been my first choice of a way to meet a member of your family, but things do happen.”
Jon was thinking that he had not yet called his parents about Amanda. Mentally smacking himself in the forehead, he vowed he would call tonight. Getting a fire going as the room was chilling rapidly, Jon excused himself to make some phone calls.
Entering his office, he dialed his parents’ home. His mother answered.
“Hey mom!”
“Jon! Hi honey! How are you?”
“Really good. How’s dad?”
“Moaning about all the cookies I’m making even while he has to taste each and every kind, as usual. What about you? When did you get back home?”
“Sorry, mom, I’ve been home since late last Saturday night. I should have called sooner. I really am sorry about that.”
Carol Bongiovi laughed, “Yes, you should have called your mother, but in the spirit of Christmas…”
Jon finished, “…you’ll let me live…”
“You’ve got it. So, I talked to Dot over a week ago and we’re doing Christmas morning with the kids at her house, right?”
“Yeah, that’s all set. She and I have been talking too.”
“Everything okay, honey?”
“Yeah, mom, things are really good.”
There was a silence from his mother’s end of the phone. Carol felt she knew her son and wasn’t one to mince words.
“Jon, you know about Dot and Eric, right?”
“I do, that’s one of the things she and I have been talking about.”
“And what are some of the other things, Jonny?”
Damn! What IS it about women? Jon knew that tone in his mother’s voice.
“I’ve met someone, mom.”
“I’m guessing this is not just something casual then?”
“No, mom, it’s pretty serious.”
“Jon, this is your mother, talk to me.”
Feeling again like a teenager trying to explain why he was hours late coming home, Jon told his mother about Amanda. He, like Amanda, gave an edited version of their meeting, finishing with the fact that she was here with him in New Jersey.
“You brought a woman home?” His mother actually sounded a bit shocked.
“Mom, I’m divorced and Dot is getting remarried, so yes, I brought someone home with me.”
“Are your father and I going to get to meet her?”
“If Dot agrees, she and her mother will be coming to their house later in the day on Christmas.”
“Her mother?”
“Yeah, her mom is flying in from Florida tomorrow and staying until the 26th.”
“So you’ve met her mother?”
“Yes, before Amanda and I left Florida.”
“Jon, how serious is this?”
Taking a deep breath, he answered her. “Mom, I love her.”
He heard his mother also take a deep breath on her end of the phone. “I see.” Her voice was flat and without inflection.
“No, mom, you don’t yet, but you will. Be happy for me, mom, I never thought this would happen again in my life.”
“Oh Jonny, I just don’t want you to make a mistake.”
“Believe me, this is no mistake. It’s one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”
Carol Bongiovi’s voice was doubtful, but she replied, “Okay, honey, then dad and I will see you at Dot’s on Christmas.”
“Just give her a chance, mom, and believe that I know what I’m doing, okay?”
“Alright sweetie. I love you!”
“Love you, too, mom!”
I really liked the way you wrote Jon's mom! I liked her sense of humor and how Jon knew her phrase before she even spoke it! You can tell they are close and I could see her being worried and uncertain about Jon making such a sudden decision. I hope she gives Amanda a chance and sees what Jon and everyone else does!
Just like Jon said " Be happy for me mom" Loved it.