my secret is out

The long, awaited moment of when-are-you-going-to-tell-your-mother-about-Rick-moving-in has finally arrived. Mom has been pestering me for the last two weeks with "Any good news?" To which I responded with, "Are you asking me if I have a ring? No." Usually she comes back with, "Are you engaged?" To which I say, "Nope."

I had been waiting for the most opportune moment to break the news to her, so when she called me at work this morning, (after ignoring her call at 7 am), and asked me if I had any good news, I baited her by saying, "Well, does getting a roommate count?" Silence on the other end of the line. And then she said, "No, I raised you better than that. Don't you know that it will just be a disaster, and it will never work out."

We then launched into a lengthy conversation about the morals and values she raised me with, her sheer disapproval of my decision (love the sinner, hate the sin), but that I was still her daughter and that above she would love and accept me. I wanted to make her understand that I wasn't asking for permission, and that I am happy with my life and the decisions that I've made along the way.

I kind of got the sense she would've felt better about the whole moving in thing if I had told her that Rick and I were engaged and had a date set. I told her we're not on any timeline and I'm certainly not going to be throwing ultimatums out there.

I tried to lighten up the conversation by telling her that at least now she would get to sleep in the pine bed that we're going to move into the guest room. She's coveted my carved, pine bed frame ever since I got it years and has been begging me to give it to her. Rick and I are going to move it to the spare room as the guest bedroom set, so she'll get to spend a whole week with the bed.

After our conversation, I quickly called my sisters to give them the heads up that Mom may try to talk it out with them.

Feeling pretty good about getting that off my chest and that Mom would absorb "my" good news in her own time. That is....until the phone rang again. Mom. "I know you were just joking with me. You would never do something like that. You're going to wait until you get married first.You just wanted to pull my leg."

I did the only thing I could do. With a chuckle, I said, "Yeah, sure, Mom. Talk to you later." Good luck with that whole living in denial thing. At least she's got a good four months to deal with it before everyone comes out here for the reunion.