Relatively Speaking

Ed’s sister Allison flew out here with our niece Courtney to pick out a bridesmaid’s dress.  All she’d had to do for Courtney’s brother Dylan was to send us his size for his tux.  She wasn’t pleased about the purple vest and asked if it had been “Pastor Parker’s” idea.

Cilla piped up, “She’s not a pastor; she’s a priest.  You can call her Mother Parker or Mother Kate or just Kate.  We call her Aunt Kate.”

I wasn’t sure if Cilla had been fresh or was just trying to be helpful.  Betsey’s opinion of Allison is “She’s such a big moron, Mother,” and Cilla has never disagreed with her.  I’d spent fifteen minutes talking to the kids about being respectful and gracious to guests and having good manners.  I would have said more, but their eyes had started to glaze over.

Then Cilla got an idea.  “Can we call Aunt Kate ‘Grandma’ after she gets married?  Please!  Please!  Please!”  (When Cilla asks if she can have another cookie, she says “Please!  Please!  Please!”)

“You’ll have to ask her, but I think she’d like that.”

Allison looked like she wanted to say something like her children had three grandmothers already (Janet, Allison’s husband Tony’s mother, and her father’s second wife, Missy), thank you very much, but Cilla started asking if she could please, please, please call Aunt Kate and ask her right away. 

 I said “Sure,” to her and to Allison, “Cilla is so intense.  It’s rather sweet, really.”  I don’t know if she believed me.  I’m sure she didn’t agree.