This evening it's official: my brother and his family are not coming up for Thanksgiving next week. Months ago they called saying they were going to make travel plans, but then my sister-in-law got a federal jury duty summons.
For my mom, this did not dispel the sense of impending arrival. The last several weeks have been like watching puppy torture as my mom threw things out, rearranged her room, and lamented that she never should've bothered changing it in the first place. Unfortunately the torture was self-inflicted, but that does not mean my dad and I were immune to her distress. Globs of teary nostalgia and anger at limited space erupted at irregular intervals. Less clutter gave her no joy, and still there was no word if they were coming or not.
My sister-in-law emailed me that she was having no luck convincing my brother to come visit with my niece regardless. She joked that he was afraid. Presumably of traveling for hours with a two year old, but one could also argue that he's afraid of spending time with his immediate family without his wife as a buffer. I can't remember when I last saw him alone, not for several years at any rate.
The courthouse was supposed to have information a week ago regarding her summons, but she didn't get word until today. The phone rang around 7:30, and I had a feeling it was them. A few minutes later, my dad poked his head into my room and said, "They're not coming."
At least there's no more waiting. Mom can stop anticipating their every possible need: car seat? baby bed? what do they eat? I'm sure she's found my father and I delinquent this whole time, unprepared with our wait-and-see outlooks, but now that can stop too. Unless they decide to come for Christmas.
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