The Teenager Returns …

backA flurry of texts, a bus journey cancelled due to an international rugby match, a friend’s car pressed into service over the Severn Bridge:

The Teenager arrived home from University for a gathering of sixth form friends on Saturday night.

And suddenly, there he was, towering in our little cottage doorway.

The Teenager had returned, albeit for a quick overnight stay. We hugged, or rather, I did, The Teenager a bit embarrassed. And tired. And hungry.

Much the same as when he was much younger, his first word was ‘food!’ He raided the fridge (‘Cheesy Strings!), the freezer (pizza!), the cupboards (bars and crisps!!), as intent as a locust. Finally sated, we chatted. A very fast, very convoluted catch up before he jumped up, ‘Shower! OMG, a dry towel! Shampoo! OMG, Loo roll!’

Many wet towels later, accompanied by blasting music from his phone, he popped back downstairs to get to know our cat again. And eat more pizza and protein bars. He told me that one of his best friends also has a mum with MS and I’m overwhelmed with happiness that they can support each other.

‘Mum, it’s weird, but it’s just weird, like very weird being back in my bedroom, very weird. You know?’

‘Yep, must be … strange?’

‘Yeah!

He wolfed down his pizza, slurped the rest of his drink and jumped up again. Before I knew it, he was dressed to impress and ready to leave.

The next morning, I woke up to a stack of bar wrappers, empty cans, wet towels and the fan in the bathroom still chugging away. The TV was frozen on ‘Match Of The Day’. I got on with paperwork, one eye on the clock for his return journey to Bristol.

At 3pm, I knocked his door.

‘Muuuuuum. Hiya! I’m fine, but leave me … it’s my double bed. It’s amaaaaazing.’ He made snow-angels underneath his American flag duvet, but I nagged him (how I’ve missed it!), and he showered, changed and was ready to go back to Uni.

I drove him in to town, dropped him at his bus stop and watched in my rear view mirror as he got on to the coach. He’s going to be ok.

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10 thoughts on “The Teenager Returns …

  1. Liz says:

    ….almost impossible to describe to anybody else,! Assuming I had a v short burst of RR…., only remember being asked by someone at St Thomas’ London ( short course of steroids ( pill form), to restore visuion ( Optic bulbar neuritis)…..err, do you know anything of Multiple Sclerosis?…., err, yes a maternal great aunt has it….mum took me & my 3 sister’s in to see Auntie June 3 or 4 times a year
    Perfect mum?
    Not to everybody may be…, pretty good to me, oh and played at Wimbledon before having any children, oh and captained Englan againtvt Wales….I still have her Wimbledon Towel
    2nd P for me how??

    • stumbling in flats says:

      There’s definitely no such thing as the perfect mum!!
      I do the best I can, like you 🙂
      I did so much before MS, and now I do virtually zero, but the main thing is, The Teenager is ok.
      XX

  2. Annie says:

    Aw lovely to have him back … we had a weekend visit too and she trashed the place lol . She just came with hand luggage and it was all laundry ?, raided the fridge and hung out in her double bed! like your guy shes ok too. Makes it so easy when they are settled and happy … Amazing about his friends mum too … love that. Good luck with blood test and those rotten forms x

    • stumbling in flats says:

      It really does make it so much easier 🙂 He seems really happy at uni.
      I’m slowly withering away this morning from a distinct lack of caffeine and the test isn’t until 10.20!! X

  3. Annie says:

    I get that but just think how amazing that first mouthful will be. Best ever ?☕️X

    • stumbling in flats says:

      It was amaaaaaazing! I met up with the boss and we had the best coffee in the world. Guess that means I’m addicted! x

  4. Annie says:

    It’s powerful stuff … I’m an addict for sure… happy weekend x

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