“That’s not true Rick, I love you all equally,” Carmen said. “But the truth is that you’ve taken every advantage we’ve given you for granted!
You gambled away your college fund, borrowed money from your sisters you will NEVER pay back…”
“So you won’t give me the money?” asked Rick, enraged. “Sandy’s parents are giving us an apartment and $200,000 as seed money. All I wanted from you was a little pocket cash…”
“$8,300 is not pocket cash, Rick,” Carmen said, horrified.
“And I hope you don’t gamble with Sandy’s money or your marriage won’t last a year!”
“Don’t you ill-wish my marriage!” Rick howled. “I don’t even want you there! You’d better stay away!”
“Rick!” gasped Carmen.
“You don’t mean that!”
“I mean it, mother!” Rick hissed. “Dad is welcome, but you are NOT!”
That night Carmen told her husband Bill the whole story and she ended up crying in his arms. Bill said, “Maybe we should just give him the money.
I know not going to this wedding is breaking your heart.”
“No, Bill,” Carmen said firmly. “We gave way to Rick too many times when he was growing up. This is our last chance to stand firm, to make him see what he is doing with his life.”
So the wedding went ahead without Carmen — but Rick ended up feeling very alone because his father and his six sisters refused to go without his mother.
There was a moment when Rick looked around and not one of those beloved faces was there and he wondered if he had made a mistake.
When he came back from his honeymoon in Tahiti, Rick confessed to his new wife that he missed his family. “Rick,” Sandy said, “I think you need to go over there and apologize.”
“Apologize!” Rick cried indignantly. “I was RIGHT!
I deserved that money…”
“Oh dear,” murmured Sandy, who was turning out to be a lot more sensible than Rick had imagined. “I don’t agree! From what you told me, your mom and dad had to clean up a lot of messes for you — expensive messes.”
“Yes,” admitted Rick.
“But…”
“Be honest with yourself, Rick,” said Sandy, who sounded more and more like Carmen by the minute, “Then pick up that phone and apologize to your mom and invite her to dinner on Saturday.”
Rick grumbled and sulked, but eventually, he picked up the phone and called his mom. “Mom?” he said when she picked up. “It’s Rick…Listen, I think maybe…You’re right… What I mean…”
“Are you trying to apologize, Rick?” asked Carmen sweetly.
“Because if you are you need to try harder…”
“OK, mom,” said Rick humbly. “I’m sorry. I know you and dad have cleaned up a lot of messes for me, and I haven’t been the most responsible person in the world, but with Sandy’s help I want to be a better person.”
“Oh Rick,” Carmen said, with tears in her eyes.
“I’m so glad! I love you my son, and of course, I forgive you. Mothers always do!”
A week later, Carmen, Bill, and Rick’s six sisters, their husbands, and children all went to Rick and Sandy’s home for dinner, and it ended up being the best wedding celebration ever.
Source: amomama
