{"id":99736,"date":"2024-11-21T11:52:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T04:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/?p=99736"},"modified":"2024-11-21T11:52:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T04:52:03","slug":"woman-didnt-know-all-it-would-take-to-reconcile-with-her-mother-was-a-storm-on-thanksgiving-story-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/woman-didnt-know-all-it-would-take-to-reconcile-with-her-mother-was-a-storm-on-thanksgiving-story-of-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman Didn’t Know All It Would Take To Reconcile with Her Mother Was a Storm on Thanksgiving\u2014 Story of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Her Bluetooth earpiece rested in her ear, and her dad\u2019s familiar voice echoed through it, calm and steady.\n

\u201cDad, I don\u2019t understand why we have to go through this every single year,\u201d she said, her frustration simmering just below the surface.\n

\u201cBecause she\u2019s your mother, Jen. You can\u2019t just ignore her,\u201d her father replied gently, but firmly.\n

\u201cI\u2019m not ignoring her!\u201d Jennifer protested, her tone defensive.\n

This conversation felt like a broken record.\n

Her dad\u2019s voice softened. \u201cYou don\u2019t call her, don\u2019t write to her, and don\u2019t even want to stay for the holiday!\u201d\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t!\u201d Jennifer snapped back, a hint of hurt mixed with anger in her voice.\n

\u201cDad, am I just supposed to forget everything that\u2019s happened? And you know she\u2019ll never admit she was wrong\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cTalk to her about it first. You don\u2019t know what she\u2019s thinking. Yes, she has a difficult personality, but I forgave her,\u201d he said, his tone pleading.\n

Jennifer clenched her teeth, gripping the wheel even tighter.\n

\u201cWell, you shouldn\u2019t have\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m asking is that you come tonight, and have dinner with us as a family. We don\u2019t need to break up the family over this.\u201d\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019m the one breaking up the family? Me? Not Mom?\u201d Jennifer\u2019s voice was sharp, tinged with bitterness.\n

\u201cYou know that\u2019s not what I meant\u2026\u201d her father replied quietly, his voice filled with patience.\n

Jennifer took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.\n

\u201cFine\u2026 I\u2019ll come and stay for dinner. But I\u2019m not promising I\u2019ll last till the end\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good enough for me. I\u2019ll be waiting for you. Goodbye, honey.\u201d\n

\u201cGoodbye, Dad,\u201d Jennifer said, and then the line went silent.\n

She hung up and sighed deeply, sinking back against her seat. It had been almost three years since she\u2019d last spoken to her mother, Sarah.\n

The split between Sarah and her father had come suddenly and painfully, and Jennifer still remembered the cold words her mother had said:\n

\u201cI\u2019ve wanted this for a long time, but only felt brave enough to do it now that the kids are grown.\u201d\n

How could she act as though their family had been a burden? Growing up, Jennifer had never felt close to Sarah.\n

Her mother had always been wrapped up in her own world\u2014studying, working, socializing.\n

She rarely seemed to have time for her family, least of all for Jennifer. Instead, Jennifer had been the one taking on responsibilities far beyond her years.\n

As the older sister, she had practically raised Carly, her younger sister, while Sarah was off doing her own thing.\n

Jennifer cooked dinner, helped Carly with her homework, and ensured the house was in order.\n

But every Thanksgiving, Sarah would reach out, talking about how much she missed everyone, as though she hadn\u2019t been the one to walk away.\n

This time, Jennifer was certain it would be no different. She dreaded the forced smiles, the empty exchanges.\n

Jennifer parked in the familiar gravel driveway, taking a deep breath as she stared at the large house in front of her.\n

Nestled close to the woods and a bit isolated from the city, it was the home she had grown up in\u2014a place full of memories, both happy and painful.\n

She watched through the windshield as her father, Thomas, stepped out of the front door, his face lighting up the moment he saw her.\n

He raised a hand in a warm wave, and next to him was her younger sister, Carly, bouncing on her toes with excitement.\n

She glanced toward the window and saw her mother, Sarah, standing just behind the glass, watching from the shadows.\n

\u201cJen! You finally made it!\u201d Thomas called out, his voice filled with warmth.\n

\u201cHi, Dad. Hi, Carly,\u201d Jennifer replied, doing her best to sound cheerful as she climbed out of the car. She forced a smile, hoping it looked genuine enough.\n

As she walked over, her father pulled her into a big hug, squeezing her shoulders tightly. It felt comforting, even if she didn\u2019t completely feel at ease.\n

Then she turned to a grinning Carly and reached over to give her hair a playful ruffle like she had done so many times when they were younger.\n

\u201cJen, I\u2019m 23 years old! Enough!\u201d Carly protested, laughing as she brushed Jennifer\u2019s hand away.\n

Jennifer chuckled, shrugging.\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll always be my little sister,\u201d she teased.\n

Carly rolled her eyes, then gestured toward the house.\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go inside quickly, warm up, and start prepping the turkey. It\u2019s freezing out here!\u201d\n

Jennifer nodded, her smile fading slightly as she approached the front door. There, Sarah was waiting, her expression unreadable.\n

The two exchanged a brief look\u2014Jennifer\u2019s forced warmth meeting her mother\u2019s cool gaze.\n

\u201cHi, Mom,\u201d Jennifer said, trying to keep her voice steady.\n

\u201cHello, Jennifer,\u201d Sarah replied, her tone polite but distant.\n

Without another word, they walked into the house, the silence between them heavy.\n

The evening had grown dark, and the sound of rain pounded against the windows, filling the house with a steady, unrelenting noise.\n

Outside, the storm was fierce, with gusts of wind whipping through the trees and flashes of lightning illuminating the night sky.\n

The news report on TV confirmed what they could already hear\u2014this was a serious storm, and everyone was being advised to stay inside until it passed.\n

In the kitchen, Jennifer and Sarah worked side by side, though they may as well have been miles apart. They hadn\u2019t spoken a word to each other since dinner preparations began.\n

Each kept to their side of the kitchen, moving quickly and efficiently, but the tension in the room was impossible to ignore.\n

Jennifer tried to focus on the task at hand, setting the plates and arranging the silverware just as she\u2019d always done.\n

But as she stepped back to check her work, she noticed Sarah coming over to adjust the cutlery, nudging each piece as if Jennifer hadn\u2019t placed them correctly.\n

Jennifer took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm, but the irritation was building.\n

She moved on, arranging the dishes and appetizers she had prepared, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sarah shaking her head, a slight frown on her face, as though Jennifer had done something wrong again.\n

It felt like a silent critique, a reminder that nothing Jennifer did was ever good enough.\n

The feeling brought back memories from childhood, of similar silent judgments, and Jennifer could feel her patience slipping away.\n

Finally, she couldn\u2019t hold back any longer.\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had enough!\u201d she snapped, her voice rising. \u201cAm I doing everything wrong?\u201d\n

Sarah looked at her, unfazed.\n

\u201cI\u2019m just helping you do it right\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cRight? Right as in \u2018the way you want it\u2019?\u201d\n

\u201cRight is right,\u201d Sarah replied, her tone calm but firm.\n

\u201cOh, and you always do everything right, don\u2019t you?\u201d\n

Sarah met her gaze, her voice dropping a bit colder. \u201cAt least I didn\u2019t ignore my own mother\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cWell, your mother wasn\u2019t absent your whole life!\u201d\n

Thomas, sensing the argument spiraling out of control, stepped forward.\n

\u201cPlease, it\u2019s Thanksgiving. Let\u2019s not fight,\u201d he said, his voice gentle but firm, hoping to calm the storm brewing in the kitchen.\n

But Jennifer and Sarah were too deep in their anger to listen.\n

\u201cComing here was a mistake. I\u2019m better off going home,\u201d Jennifer said, her voice trembling with frustration as she turned sharply toward the door.\n

Thomas reached out, his hand resting gently on her shoulder.\n

\u201cWait! You\u2019re not going anywhere. There\u2019s a storm outside; it\u2019s too dangerous to drive right now.\u201d\n

Jennifer froze for a moment, glancing at the windows where rain lashed against the glass, almost as if the storm itself were a warning.\n

She knew he was right; the roads would be a mess. But the frustration within her was so strong that she shrugged his hand off and stormed up the stairs without another word.\n

She entered her old bedroom and closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath. Then, unable to hold back her emotions, she turned and slammed the door, the sound echoing through the quiet house.\n

Jennifer took a seat at her desk, the same one where she\u2019d spent countless hours helping Carly with homework.\n

Gently, Jennifer ran her hand over its surface, noticing how spotless it was. Not a hint of dust on any shelf or corner.\n

The room looked exactly as it had when she left\u2014everything in perfect order.\n

She knew her dad wasn\u2019t one for keeping things this tidy, and a quiet realization crept over her.\n

It must have been her mom who kept the room this way, preserved like a time capsule.\n

Opening a drawer, Jennifer\u2019s fingers brushed something soft. She pulled it out and found her old doll.\n

Smiling, she cradled the doll, memories from her childhood flooding back, memories of feeling safe and comforted, despite everything.\n

A soft knock at the door broke her thoughts. The door opened, and Sarah stepped in, her eyes immediately noticing the doll in Jennifer\u2019s hands.\n

\u201cListen, Jen\u2026 I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Sarah said quietly.\n

Jennifer looked up, her expression guarded. \u201cSorry for what? For being gone my whole childhood? For leaving Dad? Or for tonight?\u201d\n

Sarah\u2019s face softened. \u201cFor everything\u2026\u201d\n

Jennifer shook her head. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot to forgive in one day\u2026\u201d\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s been more than one day,\u201d Sarah replied gently, her gaze landing on the doll. \u201cThat\u2019s Miss Monica, right?\u201d\n

Jennifer nodded. \u201cYes\u2026 You remembered her name?\u201d\n

\u201cOf course. I gave her to you. I\u2019ll never forget that day. You were so happy when you saw her.\u201d\n

\u201cShe was my first doll,\u201d Jennifer whispered, her voice softening.\n

Sarah stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on Jennifer\u2019s.\n

\u201cI know I made a lot of mistakes. I\u2019m sorry I wasn\u2019t there enough and had to grow up too soon, taking care of Carly. I know my relationship with your father wasn\u2019t perfect. But none of that changes how I feel about you.\u201d\n

\u201cAnd how\u2019s that?\u201d Jennifer asked, her voice barely above a whisper.\n

\u201cI love you, Jen. I always have. You\u2019re my daughter. I can\u2019t change the past, but please\u2026 let me make it right now.\u201d\n

Tears gathered in Jennifer\u2019s eyes, and she offered her mom a small, tentative smile. \u201cLet\u2019s try\u2026\u201d\n

Sarah squeezed her hand gently. \u201cFor now, how about we go eat everything we worked so hard to prepare?\u201d\n

Jennifer chuckled softly, wiping her eyes. \u201cOkay, Mom. It`s a start\u201d\n

Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every Thanksgiving, Jennifer was forced to face the question she hated to answer: Why don\u2019t you speak to your mother? She hoped her family would simply accept her choice, but once again, this year, the question came up. However, this time, Jennifer wouldn\u2019t be able to avoid the conversation. Jennifer gripped the steering wheel tightly,\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":99740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[855],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-99736","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-story"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ive-always-loved-Thanksgiving.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99741,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99736\/revisions\/99741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}