“See you,” I mumbled.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I love my parents.
That wasn’t sarcasm; I loved Mom and Dad with every bone in my body. Growing up, they provided me with love, affection, and resources to ensure a successful future for me. Maybe it was them making up for how they felt they had failed with Annabelle. Still, I couldn’t imagine life without those two.
But, fuck, did they get on my nerves.
Sad to say, but my sister was the disappointment child. Her rebellious ways caused my parents to focus all their attention on me, especially after she got pregnant with Millie. They had a hand in every aspect of my life since the day I came out of Mom’s womb, determined to morph me into the perfect child that they had always dreamed of.
Which was why my mother stood before me with the disappointed pout she used to guilt-trip me with as a kid, and my father beside her like an intimidating statue—he always appeared angry. After not calling them for a weekagain, they showed up at my apartment unannounced and demanded I come to breakfast with them. I had no choice but to agree.
“You haven’t picked up the phone once to call us,” Mom berated me. “We could have died, and you would never have known.”
We walked through the restaurant, following the hostess as she led us to our table. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy, I swear.”
“No need to swear, just be sure to make time for the people who gave you life.”
The hostess set out the menus on the table stiffly, and she left before my father could ask her for a lemonade, as if she were our server. How I wished I could run away like her.
I sat in the booth across from my parents. “I’ve been really busy with studying, and?—”
“Yes, studying. How has that been going?” Dad scratched the top of his bald head, not bothering to look at me as he inquired.
How do I give an acceptable answer without lying? “Uh, they’ve been okay. I’m struggling a bit in biology, but it’s partly because I’m not having enough time to study for it with all of my other classes.”
“You cannot afford to fail a class,” he droned. “Are you really putting in the work, or are you letting stress get to you?”
The stress was getting to me, but in this moment, it wasn’t because of my trashy roommate, my niece and sister, River, or any of the other stressors that plagued me. No, the sweat in my palms and tightness in my chest didn’t appear until the knock on my door this morning.
My silence was enough of an answer for Dad. “You need to drop a class to make more time for your science courses. That’s what you’ll use in med school, so you have to prioritize it. What all are you taking?”
Prioritizing the subject I liked the least sounded anything but fun.
“Biology, communications, calculus, and two electives.”
“Get rid of communications,” Mom said, flipping her brown curls over her shoulder. “I remember taking it, and it was project after project, and it took so much unnecessary time. Save it for later.”
My only class with River.
I couldn’t believe they were even suggesting this. Dropping a class so late would affect my aid, put a ‘W’ on my transcript, and push me behind in graduating on time.
“Even though I’ll get a ‘W’?”
Dad nodded. “It’s not ideal, but at least you’ll still graduate eventually.”
“If you think that’s what’s best,” I mumbled.
The server introduced himself, but Dad, eager to get our drink orders, cut him off and ordered the table waters. Going out to eat with them had always been single-handedly the most embarrassing experience ever to be had, without fail.
Once I got the topic of conversation off of me, breakfast became somewhat enjoyable. Not much had happened in the week I’d gone without calling them, which I already knew, but Mom was always going to dramatize her life if it was the last thing she did.
The food arrived quickly, considering how packed the restaurant was, and my mouth salivated at the rich smell of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.
“How are your pancakes, sweetheart?” Mom asked, cutting her French toast into tiny pieces.
Food always tasted better when I wasn’t the one paying for it. “Freaking amazing. I’m gonna have to tell Anna that someone’s made better pancakes than her.”
