It rang three, four, then five times. Finally, the voice she had dreaded hearing curtly answered, “Sabrina, you have five minutes. I can’t be late for the first client meeting of the morning. What do you want?”
That’s Mom. Straight to the point. None of the soft undertones other parents might have. There’s a seven-hour time difference between here and Dallas. At least Mom has probably had her morning smoothie.
Her throat constricted. She felt as if her tongue were made of lead.
“Sabrina? You’re down to four and a half minutes.”
“Hi, Mom. I just called to say I love you, and I forgive you.”
Her mother breathed in sharply. “Six weeks, and that’sallyou have to say to me?”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t going to apologize to me?”
Sabrina braced herself. Her mother was just itching to pick a fight.
I have to stand my ground. This is a test for both of us.
“No. I will not apologize for buying tickets to the Jane Austen Festival, because as it turns out, it’s led to a series of events where I am finally growing into a person who is discovering that I’m destined for things greater than being an administrative assistant.” She stood and started pacing. “I understand you may have been upset at having me be the center of office gossip, but if I had to do it all over again, I would.”
She could hear her mother’s heels clicking against the floor in the background. A door opened and closed. Mrs. Hill lowered her voice. “Do you understand what you’ve done? Who is going to hire you now? You’ve ruined your future career prospects. Mr. Graves is connected with every major company in Texas. With you on his blacklist, none of the respectable businesses will hire you.”
“Mom, not everything in life is about money, power, and prestige. It’s about self-fulfillment, happiness, and having a life outside of work.”
Her mother raised her voice. “That isn’t who I raised you to be. I want you to have the best of everything life has to offer. But you’ve never appreciated any of my efforts. Why can’t you have been more like Maggie?”
Sabrina breathed in sharply.
“I don’t care if I ever work in Texas again.” Her mother had hit a nerve. “Will you ever accept that I am never going to be like Maggie? I’m different. I’m Sabrina. I’ve done everything you haveeverasked of me and it is never enough for you,” she sputtered.
She’d caught her mother off-guard. “Sabrina?”
Sabrina’s voice wobbled. “In high school, I joined the swim team to add thatextraextracurricular activity you wanted me to have on my CV. Then, it was going to Baylor even though I had my heart set on NYU. I couldn’t be the only Hill family member to not attend the same alma mater as you, Dad, and Maggie. Even my job at Graves and Associates was decided for me. Did you ever stop to ask what I might have wanted?”
“No,” her mother said calmly.
The words were tumbling nonstop out of Sabrina’s mouth. “Mom, all of these years, I’ve worked as hard as I can, and yes, I may not have gotten the best grades in school, but it isn’t for a lack of trying. All I ever wanted from you was some respect and recognition that I’d done a good job. I’ve been downright miserable for years, but you never wanted to hear it. You and Dad continually called me a disappointment.”
“And you expect me to respect your decision to run away?”
Sabrina pinched the bridge of her nose. “I knew you wouldn’t understand why I’m here.”
“Then explain it to me. Because clearly, there is some sort of disconnect between us. I am trying to understand why you moved out of your apartment and bought a one-way plane ticket to Europe. In no way does this reflect the behavior of an adult.”
“You haven’t tried to understand me at all!” Sabrina gritted her teeth. “Mom, I’ve put off every single vacation for the last couple of years. I’m here because I have paid my dues. I’m done trying to measure up to your standards. I’m here for me.
“If you’d ever asked me, or even Maggie, you would have known that I have always wanted the opportunity to live abroad. It’s been on my bucket list since high school.”
The corner of her eyes began to sting. “You have always jumped to the worst possible conclusions about me. Mom, I have a good head on my shoulders. I need you to be able to trust me. I have made mistakes, and I will continue to do so, but that is all an important part of the process of me finally being able to spread my wings.”
The line stayed deadly quiet.
Sabrina swallowed the salty, bitter tears and deflated. “Look, I’ve gone past the five minutes of time you’ve allotted me and I know you have more important places to be, so we can talk—”
Her mother cut her off sharply. “To Hades with it all. Sabrina, why have younevermentioned any of these things to me? I’ve been worried sick about you since you up and left for Europe. The only reports I’ve had have been from Maggie.”
She’s been concerned about me?
