Do ‘we’ like her now?
Kelly made sure I had a great Valentine’s Day, so I am grateful for that.
The earliest reservation I could get was 9:15. I apologized and she said that’s like noon for me, it’s good.
Every time I went to take a photo, she turned on her Ring camera light for me. Like, unprompted.
I didn’t even know she had one and she said oh yeah, I know you like to take photos and I figured it’d be dark as shit here.
And when I got a glass of Veuve with gold flakes, she used the back of her coffee spoon to stir up the flecks so I could take a video.
Mom used to tell me I was a better date than any man she ever met. This was my chance to tell Kelly the same.
Seriously, best valentine (other than mom) and best Valentine’s Day.
I think the curse of this stupid holiday is finally broken!
In any event, I got to telling her a story about my homegirl H.
This was a good one, though. We actually collaborated — effectively — for the first time ever.
I wanted to be sure to balance out all the bad stories I’ve told K with this really good one.
Kelly said, “So do WE like her now?”
I had to pause and appreciate her for that. She said yeah if WE still hate her, that’s fine. But if WE just like her this week, I’m down with that.
THIS IS A TRUE FRIEND.
I said yeah I think it’s just this week. Because I was feeling saucy and pushed my luck, and she reverted to the mean.
In all senses of reverting to the “mean.”
But still, I’m growing here. I think we all did this week.
Kelly is purging all her shit and fleeing the coop. So is my manicurist.
I told her she inspired me with all her throwing shit away. So I went into Mom’s room and collected four boxes of shit to pitch.
(Not that the HOA will let me put it out, mind you, until Thursday. But, details.)
I told K a funny story. I was wearing a halter that secures behind the neck. And it is pretty sturdy; never came apart before.
But as I was picking brand-new Christmas decorations to pitch, SOMETHING undid my top and the whole thing went falling down.
She said, “Mom said don’t touch my shit!”
We laughed and I said I KNOW. And that’s why I haven’t touched anything in the eight months (today!) that she passed.
Kelly said I know no one is telling you they’re proud of you. Mom’s gone, Martin’s doing his thing and now I have this other boss who is his polar opposite.
So, she wanted me to know she’s SO proud of me.
I teared up a bit and said thank you. But I did say it’s just four boxes of clothes that don’t fit.
She said yeah but you didn’t have to do a single thing that you did for her. No one would have expected it, least of all her.
So go easy on yourself. You kept going. That’s more than a lot of people do.
Also how ironic but I just hit pause on “Waitress” and saw this…
Kelly, like me, isn’t going to say something to be nice. Unlike me, she also will tell you that you’re on the wrong path.
So an atta girl from her is worth its weight in gold champagne flecks.
I gave H an atta girl this week. Surprised the shit out of her.
She needed my finesse on something. Like acknowledged that it isn’t her strong suit but it’s mine.
I also said something to her about me being a softy. She said, “Learn to say no, Goddess. You’ll be much happier when you do.”
My friend N. always says that H is my lesson.
But this week, we saw very clearly that I am also HER lesson.
So, even if it didn’t feel like a good week at times … it was, in fact, a good week.