As Katie watched her girlfriend leave she turned to Lisa’s bedroom. Lisa had left the door open and Katie saw it as an opportunity to talk with her. Still, she thought it best to knock before entering. “You okay mom?” She asked.
Lisa was looking out her bedroom window, still dressed in her outfit from her date. Smiling sadly she now spoke. “Yeah kid I’m okay,” she said. “Just a little sad.”
“You want to talk?”
Lisa looked at Katie before sighing. “Sure,” She said. “Just take that ring off and put it on the nightstand okay.”
Confused Katie did as her aunt asked. Katie removed the ring and placed it on Lisa’s nightstand as her aunt watched. Satisfied Lisa now beckoned the girl over, placing an arm around the girls shoulder.
“Thanks kid I appreciate that,” she said. “I’m willing to talk about it but rather not chance you useing that ring of yours right now.”
Katie, while surprised, was now curious about what exactly had occurred. “No problem mom but I gotta know what happened. You and Jason seemed so happy.”
Lisa smiled sadly at Katie before brushing a stray hair from her nieces face. “It’s my fault really,” she sighed. “I...I kind of pushed Jason too hard.”
“What did you say?”
“Well Katie I’m not getting any younger,” she said. “Well..not without some magical assistance. Anyway I was pushing Jason about our relationship. I think I’m falling in love with him and when your a woman in your mid thirties... well you start thinking about the future.”
Katie stared at her aunt, confused about where she was going with this. “So what are you saying mom,” she asked. “What did you say to Jason that ruined everything.”
Lisa looked at Katie, her cheeks slightly flushed as she thought about the argument the two had in the car. “I was asking Jason if he saw us as long term. Like very long term.”
“Wait did you ask Jason to MARRY YOU!!!!”
“What no,” Lisa exclaimed. “I didn’t say it like that but I may of insinuated something similar to that.”
Katie stared at Lisa in shock. Lisa had never considered marriage. Although she had dated previously none of the men Lisa saw were ever serious. Katie had never even met any of the men Lisa dated. Honestly it had been a few years since Lisa had even been on the dating scene. Lisa seemed perfectly happy just taking care of Katie and her career over the last few years. That she would even consider this was earth shattering for her.
“Wow,” Katie gasped. “Mom this, Well this is just....wow! Why didn’t you say anything about this?”
Lisa shrugged as she looked at Katie. “To be honest Katie I had really given up on men,” she said. “By the time I entered my thirties the whole dating scene just seemed awful. I was happy just being Aunt Lisa taking care of you. I even passed up a couple of opportunities to date Jason. Don’t ask me why. I mean he’s been single for over three years since his wife passed. We’ve always been friendly I just....I just never thought about him like that.”
Katie sighed as she looked at her aunt, obviously she had been planning this talk with Jason for sometime it just backfired on her. “So what happened when you told Jason?” She asked.
“Well he was very sweet as usual,” she smiled. “It’s just that Well, he doesn’t know. He loved being married the first time and when his wife passed he never thought he would be happy again. When I asked him where he saw us he didn’t know. He likes seeing me but he doesn’t know if it’s going to be long term.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t like that answer,” Katie said glumly.
Lisa let out a short laugh and nodded. “I’ve never been the most patient person,” she smiled. “I want to go all in with him but he doesn’t know. Needless to say I shot my mouth off and said that if it’s not gong to be a long term thing I didn’t see the point in keeping things going.”
Katie groaned as she buried her face in her hands. “Mom,” she groaned. “I know I may not have that much dating experience but even I KNOW you can’t say that in a relationship.”
Lisa frowned before smirking. “Thanks for the moral support their kid,” she smirked. “But Yeah your right, bad move on my part.”
Katie smiled as she spnow hugged her aunt. “I’m sorry mom,” she whispered. “You can fix this. I do have one question though, why did you want me to take the ring off then before we talked?”
Lisa smiled before answering. “Well I think part of the reason I pushed the envelope with Jason is because I’m 35. If I was a little younger then well maybe I wouldn’t be freaking out about being alone so much. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the times we’ve spent with the Ring but I’d rather not have you just making me younger and younger so I can have a relationship with Jason.”
Katie nodded, she could understand Lisa’s apprehension when it came to the Ring of Age. After her own recent experiences she found that while fun there were times that you needed to be careful. “I understand mom,” she said. “Besides could go to far. Instead of dating Jason he could end up being old enough to be your dad.”
Lisa smirked before playfully shoving her niece. “Your an ass you know,” she said playfully. “But Thanks I appreciate that.”
Katie now looked at Lisa in an attempt to make her feel better. “Mom,” she said. “Listen we can fix this it’s just going to take some time. I know you like Jason and I’m pretty sure he likes you too. You just can’t push it okay. Give it time and maybe apologize to him.”
Lisa grinned as she now looked at her niece. “I hate apologizing,” she said.
“Sorry mom you gotta be adult about this,” Katie said. “Or I can get the ring and you can not adult.”
Lisa now started laughing. “Tempting but I’ll adult for right now,” she said.
Katie smiled as she hugged Lisa tightly. “Don’t worry mom we’lol figure this out. Right now why don’t you relax, I got dinner tonight.”
“Thanks Katie,” she sighed as she headed towards her closet to change. Katie exited the room, closing the door behind her. As she did she now tried to think of a way to help her aunt get the man she wanted back in her life.