My Christmas was ruined. But then, around 9 p.m., my phone buzzed again.
This time it was an unknown number.
Your little plan worked. I’m stranded at the bakery. It’s freezing, and I need you to pick me up now.
NOW, ROSALIE!
I blinked at the text, practically hearing Susan’s voice screaming at me.
What plan? I hadn’t done anything! And yet, I was intrigued.
I’m busy.
Good luck, Susan. You can walk.
And then, I went back home.
The next morning, as I pieced together the events of Susan’s disastrous night, the irony was nothing but delicious.
Here’s what had happened:
That afternoon, after I left for the airport, Susan had gone to the local bakery to pick up pies for Christmas dinner. But because she’s, well, Susan, she parked her rental car illegally, in a tow-away zone, mind you.
Why me?
Because my dad had bought us similar phone numbers with only one digit different so he could memorize them.
I was the only number Susan had managed to memorize, and I guess karma had a sense of humor.
And to top it off, Susan thought that I had sabotaged her and called the towing company after discovering the canceled airline ticket.
Meanwhile, my dad, who had been trying to call Susan all night, finally called me back. His voice was tight with concern.
“Shouldn’t you be here by now, Rose?” he asked. “And where is Susan?”
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” I said, barely able to keep the laughter out of my voice.
“She’s probably still at the bakery or chilling in the tow yard by now.”
“What are you talking about, Rosalie?”
I told him everything.
About the canceled flight, Susan’s text, and how she was currently stranded.
“You’re kidding,” Dad said. “She actually canceled your flight?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “There was nobody else to do it.
And now she’s paying the price for being ugly.”
He was quiet for a moment, then sighed.
“Rosalie, there’s something you should know,” he said. “A few weeks ago, Susan told me that she didn’t think you should come for Christmas.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She said that it’d be easier for everyone if it was just ‘us.’ I thought she’d get over it or work through it when she came to you for her business trip. But I didn’t think that she’d actually do something like this.”
“Dad, you knew she didn’t want me there?” I asked.
“I thought I could fix it, darling,” he said softly.
“I wanted this Christmas to be special for both of you. I know Mom is away, so it was up to me to make it good for you. I didn’t think Susan would go this far.
I ignored the topic after I spoke to her.”
“You thought ignoring it would help?”
His silence was enough of an answer.
“I’m catching the next flight,” he said simply.
When Susan finally made it home, hours later, after hitching a ride from a tow-truck driver, she looked like she’d been dragged through life.
Susan took herself to my bathroom and washed off her experience before falling into a deep sleep on the couch. When she woke up, my dad was there, fresh off his flight.
“You canceled her flight?” he demanded before saying anything else.
Susan froze, her face going pale.
“I… Rob, I wanted us to have some family time without…”
“Without my daughter?” he snapped. “You didn’t just ruin her Christmas; you tried to ruin our relationship.
What kind of person does that to a teenager? Rosalie is just a child who has been forced to grow up because of you!”
Susan stammered, trying to defend herself, but the damage was done.
“Pack your things,” Dad said firmly. “Spend Christmas wherever you want.
But it won’t be here. And I’ll be spending Christmas with my daughter.”
For once, Susan was speechless. She gathered her things and left, her head hanging in shame.
As for me?
Dad booked us flights back home, and he promised that Susan wouldn’t be there when we got in.
We spent the rest of the holiday sipping hot cocoa, eating pie, and laughing over the ridiculousness of it all.
And Susan?
She spent Christmas alone in a hotel room, nursing her bruised ego and her hefty towing fine.
Shame. Sometimes karma works fast.
Do you have any opinions on this?
