“Tatoes!” Charlie says as my mother scoops mashed potatoes onto his plate. “Yummy!”
“So, I’m starting the class to get my real estate license,” Ivy announces once we’re all eating.
“Oh, that’s great!” I say enthusiastically. “How long is it?”
“Four weeks, two nights a week. I know I’ll be out of the house even more,” she says, looking at my mother apologetically. “But once I pass the test and get my license, I can make a lot more money.”
Dad snorts. “Money isn’t guaranteed. You could go months without a sale. Then what?”
“Rod.” My mother gives him a disappointed look but he widens his eyes.
“What? I’m not saying anything that’s not true. How is she going to pay her bills if she doesn’t have any sales?”
Ivy is currently the receptionist at a busy firm, and her boss has been hinting that she should take the test to get her license.
“I’ll still be working my regular job for now,” Ivy says quietly.
Dad shakes his head. “You should be looking for a husband to take care of you, not some sales job that doesn’t guarantee you a salary.”
Ivy sighs.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation but it’s been a while.
“At least your sister is getting a degree that will guarantee her a good salary once she graduates. And when she’s in the corporate world, she’ll be a lot more likely to find a husband.”
I roll my eyes. “Geez, Dad, this is the twenty-first century. There’s more to life than finding a husband.”
“Talk to me about that when you can support yourself.”
I bite back a snippy retort and focus on my dinner.
This is definitely not a good time to bring up Jordan.
Not that I was planning to tell them we’re back in touch just yet but after he told me he was going to talk to his parents, I started thinking about how and when I could do the same. It seems like it’s way too soon for that, but at the same time, if we’re not serious, what’s the point of even starting at all?
Dinner’s quiet after that, and Ivy and I clear the table without saying a word. My father goes to sit in front of the TV and my mother takes Charlie upstairs for his bath.
“I’m so tired of him treating us like we’re stupid,” she mutters.
“Just ignore him.” I start rinsing dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.
“Do you want to get a place together?” she asks.
“What?” I glance up in surprise.
“You’re going to graduate in a few months, and I’m hopefully getting my realtor license. What if we got our own place?”
“I don’t think we can even discuss that until we have jobs.”
“It’s just theoretical, but would you want to?”
“What about Charlie?”
“If I start making real money, I can put him in daycare. If not, Mom is still going to help. There’s no way she’s going to say no to watching him.”
“I have to focus on graduating,” I say carefully. “And you know my plan is to save for a house.”
“I know but…” She leans against the counter. “I don’t know how long I can keep living here. It’s been three years—he has to get over me getting pregnant or I can’t stay here.”
