All Our Ways

By the time they got home, Ivy was in good spirits. The minute she walked through the door, her mother greeted her with open arms. “It’s so nice to have you at home again,” Remi said giving her a hug. After the hug, she asked, “What do you think? Do you like the color? Gina picked it.” Ivy gazed at the navy-blue wall that had once been beige and said. “It’s very bold. It gives the place a totally new feeling. Why didn’t you tell me you had repainted?” “It was Gina’s idea, she found a picture in a magazine and thought we should update the house,” Remi said. “Come I’ll show you what I did to Merilyn’s old room.” As they made their way upstairs, Ivy thought, ‘Hmm, it’s supposed to be my room, but mom still thinks of it as Merilyn’s room.’ Stepping inside the room, Ivy was struck by the mustard color walls and said, “Well, this is an unusual color for a bedroom. I don’t think I’d choose this color.” “Gina says it’s the latest trend. I chose the lacey white bedspread and curtains to tone it down. Oh, I also moved all your things to the downstairs bedroom closet. There’s a box with your name on it. I wanted to make this room into a guest room.” “Which room do you want me to use?” Ivy asked, feeling like a stranger in the house she once knew as home. “Well, this room of course,” Remi said. Ivy nodded and went to put her backpack on the bed. As she turned to her mom, she said, “What else have you done?” “Gina is planning to redo the dining room and kitchen, but we don’t agree on the color scheme. I’ll let you get settled in. George needs to go for a nap.” Turning to pick up George, she said, “Say bye-bye to Ivy.” “Bye little one, have a good nap,” Ivy said as she watched her mother walk out of the room. She went to sit on the bed and looked around. As she did, she thought, ‘So I’m a guest now! I’m in the guest room! I wonder if Mom even realizes how this makes me feel.’ With a sigh, she unpacked her bag then went downstairs to look for the things her mother had stored there. Once there, she found the room cluttered with all kinds of old things. Making her way to the closet, she found the box with her name. Picking it up, she was surprised by how light it felt. She opened it, and to her shock it held only a post-it-note with a smiley face drawn on it. A cold shutter came over her as she realized that all the things she had cherished as a child were gone. Picking up the box, she hurried to find her mother. Finding her in the office, she set the box in front of her and said, “Is that the box you put my things in?” “Does it have your name on it?” “Yes Mom, it does,” Ivy said trying her best to keep from crying. “Open it,” As she opened the box, Remi said “Ivy, what is all this about?” She was going to say more but saw the post-it-note. “Gina! I’m so sorry Ivy.” “Mom, I don’t want to be here. I feel like I’ve been erased. I think I’ll call Laura to see if she can come get me,” Ivy said as she took a deep breath to keep from having a total melt down. “Ivy, stop with the drama,” Remi said. She was going to say more but Ivy interrupted and said, “I knew you’d say that.” She turned to go but as she did, she ran into her dad. “What is happening here? Ivy, you haven’t been home an hour and you’re already fighting with your mother,” Norman said. “I’m not fighting, I’m just upset,” Ivy said. Wanting to be alone, she ran outside and went to sit on a lawn chair. After taking a deep breath, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She had to calm down. ‘Why am I letting Gina upset me?’ she thought, ‘I haven’t seen these things in a long time, but they were mine, she had no right to take them. Why can’t Gina ever let me be?’ Before she could answer her question, she heard, “Ivy, can I speak to you? Your mother told me what happened.” Ivy sat up wiping her eyes, she looked up at her father and said, “I’m sorry to have caused trouble for Mom. Did you notice that there isn’t one thing that is mine in that house? There isn’t even one picture of me. Merilyn and Laura are married and have moved out, but they still have things here.” She took a deep breath and added, “I don’t even have a room of my own anymore.” Norman pulled a chair closer to her and as he sat down said, “I’m sorry too. What was in that box that was so special?” “All the things that were special from my childhood. My report cards, my school pictures, and my jewelry box that held all the special mementos I kept. I suppose they’re not that important, but they were part of my childhood. It’s not just that; I don’t feel part of this family anymore.” “I see,” Norman said. They sat for a short while without talking. Then Norman said, “I took out your garden plot, but I kept the rose bush you planted. Did you see how big it’s getting?” Ivy turned to where the garden had once been and asked, “The bush in the corner, that’s my rose?” Her father nodded. “It sure has grown! Does it still bloom?” “Yes, every July, big deep red blooms. You’d love them.” With tears running down her face, she turned to her dad and said, “I love you Dad, thank you for showing me that having your love is so much more important.” “Ivy don’t ever forget, you might not have things in this house, but you’ll always have me and my love.” “Dad, you’re right, you and Mom are here. You’re my parents, I love you both, thank you for making me realize that.”