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“My mom showed up. Will call you after. Sorry.”
Turning back toward her, I noticed she remained focused on my right ankle. “I’m better now. Had the cast removed from my wrist a couple days ago, and this boot is only for two more weeks before I transition to a brace.”
“You get hit by a car and rushed via ambulance, but you don’t call your mother? Why?”
Oh, no, she sounded really hurt by it. I bit my lip, needing to be honest and not go with my habit of deflecting. “Because all I could think about was you’d insist on me moving home, and I wasn’t ready.”
“And will you be ready by the end of August?”
It was a small eternity before I shook my head no. Only a few weeks ago, I’d been convinced moving home would be my only option, with my internship over and me being in the hospital, but now I couldn’t fathom it. Maybe it was the whole being hit by a car business, reminding me I’d only get one shot at this life, which made me voice my opinion for once. Maybe not out loud, but shaking my head no was a small step in the right direction, at least.
“You promised.”
I cringed at her accusatory tone. “I did not. And considering you chose a school for me without my input, I don’t think you can blame me for rethinking it once I had some time away.”
“You have exactly six weeks to reverse your short-sighted decision. In fact, the baptism for Haylee and Josh’s little girl is set for the weekend before classes start at Georgetown. That would be the best time for you to move home. Go ahead and buy your ticket now; then we can ship your things out separately with a moving company. Did you give notice to your apartment management company yet?”
She bulldozed right over my feelings completely. I stayed quiet, trying to get up the nerve to tell her that absolutely, under no circumstances, was I moving home.
“Fine, I’ll do it since it’s my name on the lease anyhow,” she continued.
“Mom, I’ve been thinking, and I definitely want to stay out here.” There, I’d found my voice.
“You do realize we won’t fund it. Not one penny.”
“I understand, but if we could talk—”
“Is this because of a boy?”
I flushed red, the timing of my relationship with Colby weighing on my conscience. He had nothing to do with my decision, did he? Reverting back to an old habit, I changed the subject. “No. I think I may want to do something with music. I’ve improved with being able to sing in front of people. Just this morning I sang at the Children’s Hospital—”
“You can’t be serious. First of all, even if you were good enough, what is a career in music going to do for you? I’ll save you from having to come up with a reply. Nothing. Now I can see you’re dressed up, and it’s a Saturday night, so I’m asking one last time if you’re staying out here because of a boy.”
“No, I’m not.” At least I didn’t think so. “I love LA, and I don’t see myself going on to business school. It’s not what I want to do with my life.”
“You’re too young to know what you want. Besides, you’re not paying attention to what I’m saying when I tell you we’re not funding you. That means no apartment, no car, no cell phone, and no medical insurance, which clearly you’ve needed during the last few weeks. And if you think you’re touching your trust fund, you have another thing coming because you can’t until you’re twenty-five. And perhaps we need to revisit that stipulation.”
I gasped that she’d go there when it was something my grandparents had setup for me. “Why are you so adamant about this? Over the last four years, you’ve never mentioned me moving home once. Why now?”
She looked on the verge of tears. “Because I’ve let you do what you’ve wanted, and now it’s time for you to be appreciative of all that’s been given to you. I need you home. End of story.”
She walked to my front door, turning back for her parting words. “Six weeks, McKenzie, that’s it.” Opening my door, she walked out of my apartment without a backward glance.
* * *
I wentthrough a gauntlet of emotions. How the hell could she think I’d never been appreciative? She was making it sound like I’d been an entitled brat who needed to do the right thing by coming home. I’d earned a full scholarship for my tuition, so I hadn’t asked them to pay for my college; I drove a used Honda Accord and lived within a college student’s means.
Mostly, I was disappointed in myself and the fact that, once again, I hadn’t been adamant about what it was I wanted. Instead, I’d let her leave with the last word in the form of a threat, which now hung over me like a heavy blanket.
Colby had texted me to call him when I could. It took twenty minutes to be able to calm down enough to dial.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, you doing okay?”
“I’ve been better. And I feel terrible saying this, but I need a raincheck for tonight.” I was in the shittiest of moods, and the last thing I needed was for him to know what a complete chicken I’d been with my mother. He’d already caught enough of a glimpse of that girl at my graduation party.
“I understand, but let me come over and we’ll talk.”
I hesitated, but realized this wasn’t a state I wanted him to see me in. “Maybe tomorrow.”
