Going to investigate, she discovered that it was indeed her mother. Nancy was lying in bed, sideways, and holding her stomach. ‘Hangover,’ Liz thought with disgust. Her mom turned her head, and upon seeing Liz hovering in the doorway, weakly motioned for her to come in. Still, Liz wavered, not sure as to whether she should go help her mother, or let her suffer like she deserved. Another groan escaped from Nancy Parker’s mouth, louder this time. Liz took a hesitant step forward, then another.

“Liz,” Nancy rasped, her voice hoarse. “I’m so sorry, baby. I…tried.” Then, she got up as quickly as she could, and wobbled to the bathroom. From outside the door, Liz could hear her mother gagging, and flushing the toilet. And then came the nauseating sounds of dry heaves.

When Nancy finally immerged from the bathroom, her hair was even more of a mess than before, and her face had turned a sickly bluish-green. Liz’s heart gave a lurch, and she was sorry that she had thought all of those horrible things earlier. Yeah, sure her mother knew that this had been inevitable if she choose to have a drink, but it really wasn’t that easy to get off an addiction.

Liz stepped forward, and took her mother’s arm. Slowly, she guided the weak woman to the bed, and peeled back the covers. It was very clear that her mother was immensely grateful that her wonderful daughter had understood her problems enough to help her. Once Nancy was safely tucked in bed, Liz left the room, promising to be nearby just in case she needed something.

About ten minutes later, and there had been no disturbance in the room, Liz decided to go check up on her mother. She was greatly relieved to find that she was fast asleep, in a normal position this time.

Suddenly, she remembered that her dad had been practically jumping up and down when he’d come home early that afternoon. Now that Liz knew that her mother was going to be okay, at least for the time-being, she was curious as to what exactly had made her dad so cheerful.

Liz went downstairs and saw that Jeff had his head buried in some magazine. Liz paused and took a second look at the cover. “The Chef’s Digest?” Since when did her dad have time for cooking? She faintly recalled her mother saying once that Jeff had been a terrific cook when he was younger, but he hadn’t had time for it ever since he’d gotten into business and finance.

“Uh, dad?” Liz questioned.

Jeff looked up from his magazine. “Oh, hey honey. What’s up?”

“Well, mom woke up, but I tended to her already. She’s sleeping peacefully now.”

He frowned worriedly at his daughter, searching for any traces of frustration or annoyance. When he was satisfied that there wasn’t any, he sighed. “I wish you would’ve come and gotten me. I could’ve done all that.”

“No, it’s okay, dad. I don’t mind, really.”

“I’m glad that you don’t hold this against Nancy. It’s hard to break old habits, you know.” Liz nodded.

“Don’t worry, dad. I understand,” Liz reassured him. Then, she pointed to the magazine on the table. “Why are you reading that?”

Jeff’s face fairly lighted up with delight. “Oh, that was part of what I was going to tell you when I got home, honey! I know that both you and your mother think that I work too much and wear myself out. So, I think I’ve found the perfect solution!”

Liz’s curiosity heightened. “What?”

“This!” He proudly held up a brochure.

“Roswell, New Mexico,” she read. Liz’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t that the infamous little town where the weather balloon landed in 1947? Are we going there on vacation, or something?” Liz prayed that he would say no. Because if the Parkers went THERE, of all places, for some R and R, boy, would her friends get a kick out of that!

“Better than that. A lot better.”

“Okay, so if we aren’t going there for vacation, why did you show me the brochure?” ‘And why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to like this?’ Liz secretly thought.

“Well, pack your bags, honey. It’s going to be our new home!”

Liz’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “WHAT? We’re MOVING? And to THERE?”

“Well, you’ve told me yourself that I was a workaholic. So, I decided to just give it all away for a cozy life in a nice, quaint little town, doing something I actually enjoy: cooking! The three of us are going to be the proud owners of a restaurant in Roswell! The Crashdown! Isn’t that a great name, considering where it’s located?”

Liz just stared at her father, too shocked to say anything. ‘What, he was just going to throw away EVERYTHING that he’d worked so hard towards for the past, what, 20 years? And for what? A cheesy little tourist trap in the middle of a cheesy little town?’

“How does mom feel about this? Have you even discussed it with her, yet?” Since her dad looked like he was absolutely sure of himself, Liz was holding on to the hope that her mom wouldn’t agree to this.

“Well, I thought that getting away from the big city would help her with her smoking and drinking problems. She does want to quit, Liz. Whether you believe it or not, she really does. And this is the perfect opportunity for her! To just relax and help me with the restaurant. That’s what she’d always wanted, you know. To have a nice, simple life in a small town, not LA with its neon lights and noisy streets. She’d never wanted to live in a huge house like this, said that it made her feel lonely. The only reason that she’d put up with it for so many years was for my sake, and when you were born, yours. Oh, Liz, she’s made so many sacrifices for the two of us, even though you may not realize it. I think it’s time that we give a little of that back.”