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The spirited conversations among your fellow staff act as good background noise for you to internalize this time in your life. You're 50! Fifty years of a life that, in many ways, feels like it has both stretched endlessly and passed in the blink of an eye. So much has happened to you, but at the same time, you feel as if nothing has really begun. You're not sure how to feel about that. To accept wasting 50 years... would be awful. Hang on, if you're 50, that would make your mother... 76? Your mind is blank for a second; it's hard to really believe that she really <span class="mu-i">is</span> that old. Hm. Excusing yourself from the group for a moment, you walk to the kitchen and grab the phone.
"Hello?" The familiar elderly voice on the other end almost sounds surprised. It's unmistakably your mother, but you can't quite pinpoint what's off.
"Hi, Mom." The minute you finishing saying those two words, what was missing becomes obvious.
"Walter!" Your mother's voice is back to how you remember it: bright and cheerful. "It's so good to hear from you. How have you been?"
"It's good to hear from you too, Mom. I'm doing okay. Just wanted to catch up, you know?"
"Well, it's a pleasant surprise. I've been wondering when my son would find the time to call his old mother."
"Sorry about that. Things have been a bit hectic lately."
"No need to apologize, dear," she pauses. "So... fifty years old now, are we?" You can practically hear her smirking.
"Believe it or not." She giggles at your response.
"Oh, I can believe it, alright. I got your last Christmas card, and you look older than I remember your father being." She sounds distant at that last part; it's always sad to hear her talk about your father, but you keep in mind that it's when she's the most herself. "Oh, if he could see you now." Another pause. "Have you been taking care of yourself? You know, I worry about you."
"I know, Mom. I'm doing my best. Work's been demanding, but I'm managing."
"And how's Junior? And Skyler?" You notice an interesting shift in her demeanor for you and Junior versus your wife.
"They're good. Skyler's been handling the pregnancy like the champ she is, and Junior is growing up fast."
"I'm glad to hear that. Your family is everything, Walter. Don't forget to cherish those moments"
"I know, Mom. I'm trying." There's another pause, but this one is warmer. Your mother speaks up again.
(1/2)
