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Convinced that Dean had spirited Jenna off to the most crime-ridden location on earth, as he called it, her father pointed Jocelyn in an easterly direction. He was adamant in his zeal for her to go immediately to New York, and to not come back until she had Jenna with her.
Jocelyn, in a moment of foolish bravado, tried to explain that she had already ignored her business for too long. She further told them that if Jenna wanted to come home, she would.
This was completely unacceptable according to her parents.
“You have the nerve to pretend to work when you sister is out there somewhere alone?” her father currently railed. “You don’t have your priorities straight. You need to get back out there and keep looking for your sister. If you don’t, then I don’t know what I’ll do. Your mother was far too lenient with both you girls in my humble opinion. It’s no wonder you’ve both turned out to be a huge disappointment.”
Jocelyn closed her eyes, but truly wanted to hang her head in sorrow. She’d graduated summa cum laude from a prestigious state university with a degree in computer science, and was independently well off as a result of her own hard work and superior skills at a self-owned business for the past several years. However, because she hadn’t found a man, gotten married, and promptly subscribed to the “keep house and get dinner on the table by six” club, she was considered an utter failure in life by her parents.
No amount of persuasion or awards or money in the bank would ever convince them otherwise. And the unspoken obligation they expected her to perform was to be at their beck and call every second of every day, since she didn’t currently have a man in her life to order her around.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, but going to New York on what amounts to hearsay from someone too far removed to be helpful is a waste of time. I’d be better off to head back to Montana and try to find Dean’s old address again.”
Her father shook his head and paced in front of the television. Her mother simply sat quietly, nodding at every word her father spoke, and repeatedly wrung her hands as if that was all she was capable of adding to the discussion.
Jocelyn wished her mother would stand up for herself, but knew that would never happen. Her mother and father lived by strict old-school rules. He worked outside of the home, and her mother kept house and put dinner on the table promptly at six every night. They’d never understood her desire to have a job, to work for herself, or the sincere lack of desire to get married and let a man control her life, since the second she graduated from college.
In fact, she was certain college had only been provided for her so she could scout out a rich husband and get married. They’d never expected her to actually graduate, but instead to find a man, settle down, and quit college the moment some nameless man put a ring on her finger and started ordering her around.
Jocelyn enjoyed her independence. She liked that she controlled her own life. She also liked that she had means and a hefty bank account to show for all her hard work. In her chosen field she was very well respected and possibly even revered. At home, she was forever a huge disappointment.
“Montana is a waste of time,” her father grumbled, pulling her from the desolate reverie of her disappointing life to date. “I firmly believe that New York is where you need to center your search. Jenna needs to be brought back home.”
“Why does Jenna need to be brought back home?”
Her father whirled around with a positively demonic expression. “What do you mean? Why?” Certain he was angry because she’d dared to question him, Jocelyn took a deep breath and tried to take a calmer approach.
“It isn’t like she’s ten, Dad. Jenna is nineteen years old.” Jocelyn tried one last time to explain her limitations. “New York has upward of ten million people. I wouldn’t know the first place to start looking there.”
“How do you know until you make the least effort?”
“I have made an effort. But I’m not a private detective. And I have a life to tend to. I know you don’t approve, but I do have my own business to run. One that I’ve ignored for weeks to try and find Jenna as per your demand. But enough is enough. I’m not going to New York. You’re going to have to resign yourself to that fact.”
