Friday, January 9, 2015

You're getting better

This is a household that supports Apple. When we lived with Aunt Elaine I just got the cheapest laptop that would do everything I needed it to do. Eventually I got a macbook pro, became an Apple convert and hauled my sisters along with me.

Josh has always liked Apple products and always had one of each. Okay, sometimes more. For a while he had three iPods but couldn't figure out why. "I think a couple were gifts?"

Today when I was making dinner he came home with Dani, who was beaming. "Sammers, don't be mad." Josh made me put the knife down. "We got Dani a new computer and phone." We? No, you. If we had done it, we would have talked about it first and we would have paid for it together.

Dani's computer has been on its last legs for a year, easily. It takes 20 minutes to start, and often it takes five minutes to open any website and then it crashes. Every time I started to think maybe we should budget for a new laptop for her, Dani would run a patch or tweak her computer in some other way. Her phone doesn't tell her when there are voicemails, drops calls constantly, refuses to alert about incoming texts. We basically approach contacting Dani like throwing a message in a bottle into the ocean. It might reach her, but it probably won't.

But this is like, $1500 worth of stuff. Their hands were empty. I seriously heard a rushing sound in my ears while they were talking to me. I think that's what my rage sounds like. "Where's the stuff?" That was all I could think to ask.

Dani suggested they leave it in the hallway while they told me, in case I freaked out. I'm not THAT angry anymore. Mostly. "Can I keep them? Please?"

I let her keep them. She's so happy. Josh is one of those people who gets happy when he gives. So he's happy too. When Dani ran into the hallway to haul her computer box inside, Josh kissed me and whispered. You're getting better.

Maybe I am. But I'm still awake at almost 2am thinking about it. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let it go Sam. Don't waste your valuable energy on being angry at either of them. Josh obviously has a generous heart; I think it's one of his nicest qualities. You can tell they still respect you or they wouldn't have been so nervous about telling you. Be happy that you can now communicate with Dani when you need to. You've raised her well enough so that she'll appreciate and take good care of the gifts.
Kathy

Suzanne said...

Josh is family at this point. He has his own relationship with Dani that has nothing to do with you. <3 Enjoy watching their sibling relationship grow.

Amanda said...

Men need respect more than love ( which is hard for most women to grasp). They also love to give practical gifts and problem solve. Josh has done all of these things in giving Dani two very practical gifts that will be helpful with both college and keeping in contact, thus peace of mind for you. Set aside the monetary issue and sincerely thank him for all he has done to help you raise your sisters, A job most young boyfriends would never sign up for. By you, and Dani, thanking him in a most sincere manner he will feel both respected and loved. Any rejection of his gift or ill feelings about the covert purchase would be disrespectful in his view.