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An Epiphany

It was Christmas night. The morning had produced many wonderful things, along with a few laughs. The Christmas dinner was well settled into the stomachs of the many guests my mother had invited to our small abode. Now we were all sitting in the family room of our house, opening the second set of presents that came with the added occupants.

I opened my father’s first. There were some gifts that I already knew of (he bought one right in front of me after I told him I would like to own it), a few that were pleasant surprises. But nothing prepared me for Dave’s gift.

Dave. Last year I had no idea who he was. Now he is my mother’s boyfriend. She met him just about six months, at a singles group. He is wonderful to her, my brother and me as well. I am glad that they found each other.

I was surprised by the sole fact that Dave had even bothered to buy a gift for myself. Not only just one gift, either, but two. The first was a small, portable radio. The idea behind his buying it for me was that I would have something to keep me awake during my Fifth period class, AP Spanish Language (or AP Nap Time as I have begun to jokingly call it). Dave has been a part of my family’s dinner conversations a few times; that is how he found out about my AP Nap Time class.

The fact that Dave had bought me a second gift filled me with awe and confusion. I am not Dave’s daughter, therefore why should he bother? This second gift was square in shape, and felt somewhat heavy. A CD, I thought, as after receiving three or four more earlier in the morning, I had learned of the dimensions and feel of a CD gift.

I carefully undid the tape that held the paper together. My eyes widened as the CD revealed itself to me: Enya’s “A Day Without Rain.” That title was familiar. Could it be? Was this the CD with her “Only Time,” the song Ryan Seacrest of Star 98.7 plugged a few sound-bytes relating to September 11 into once, which made my heart pine for the CD that much more?

I turned the CD around, checking the back for the list of songs. I blinked slowly and took a small, yet quick, gasp of breath. There it was, at Number Three, the third song on the CD, “Only Time.”

I stared at the back of the CD case in reverent silence. Of all the CDs I had asked for this Christmas, I wanted this CD most of all, for the sole reason of just how much more moving it became with Seacrest’s special additions. Yes, I knew that the special addition would not be included in the official CD, but just having the song alone meant so much to me.

But there was something more to this. Dave bought this for me; my brother did not buy it, nor my mother, father, or anyone else in my extended. Dave, a man I would not have known had my mother not grown attracted to him (and vice-versa), a man I have no blood relation with, bought that CD for me. I looked up at him, sputtering in that high-pitched voice of mine. He just laughed and smiled; he hit the gold mine, and he knew it.

Mother and Dave have only been going out for about six months, but I can tell something is going to happen. “A Day Without Rain” confirms this. My mother deserves a man like Dave, but the changes involved with such an agreement puts me at slight unease. A change of locations would definitely be in order, but I have lived in this small house all my life. I would also become a sister to two more siblings, both much younger than me. I am not reluctant to have this change occur, but I am not entirely ecstatic about it either.

Of course, there is no way to tell what will happen. Perhaps I should take the first few lines of “Only Time” to heart: “Who can say/where the road goes . . . . –only time”

Update: Sorry, boys and girls; it didn't work out. Ah well, life goes on, and my mother isn't too upset about it, nor should she be. Keep her in your thoughts, though, please?

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