Salad, Panninis, and Mama Chia

My brother and sister-in-law and I sat outside the Encinitas Whole Foods eating our salads and panninis and drinking our Mama Chia juices as we simultaneously discussed the current hot topic of conversation--whether or not to move Mom and Dad (and me) down to San Diego.

Reasons for and against moving are chewed concurrently with the chewing of toasted bread. Justifications for staying in or for leaving the PNW are tossed about along with our crisp greens.

The many factors-to-be-considered are bandied about--Will Dad consider moving? Will Dad refuse to move if I decide to move? Would Dad be happy living with Mom in an assisted living facility? Can I afford to live in SoCal? Can Mom and Dad afford to both live in a facility in SoCal?

We explore all of these questions and more. We drink, we eat, we talk. We eat and drink and talk more. We're all sort of thinking that Dad will like the idea of being closer to the rest of the family. That he'll rather like the opportunity to be closer to his great granddaughter, see more of the family on a more regular basis, be able to spend every day with Mom. It all makes good sense. The panninis are delicious and so seems our logic.

Then my cell phone rings.

It's my dad.

I answer it.

He's just calling to see how my visit's going. Am I having a good time? How is everyone? How's my granddaughter? Walking yet? Talking yet?

I fill him in on everything. My brother and sister-in-law munch away as I chat with Dad. We're having a lovely conversation. So lovely, in fact, that it occurs to me, as we talk, that a door of opportunity has suddenly opened and perhaps this would be a good time to possible plant a little seed, test the waters as it were, regarding Dad's feeling about the notion of moving.

I commit.

I dig.

I dip.

Then I begin to gush.

"Dad you should really see your great granddaughter! She's so precious! You know Dad......do you know how wonderful it would be if you could see her all the time? Do you Dad? Do you know how great that would be? To see her growing and changing ALL the time? You know what I mean Dad?"

Then I wait.

My brother and sister-in-law stop chewing their panninis, stop sipping their Mama Chia juice, stop spearing their salads, waiting to read my reaction to whatever Dad is about to say next.

"WELL...........TELL THEM THEY NEED TO COME UP FOR A VISIT SO I CAN SEE MY GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER?!"

This is NOT going to be easy.