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“Thank you so much. It’s Lavender Waters.”
She glances at me. “Lavender? That’s a pretty name.”
“Ironically my parents aren’t even hippies.”
She smiles, and this time it’s friendlier. Thank you, Mom, for the weird name. I give her my student ID number, and she taps on her keyboard for a minute.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh! It looks like you’re next on the list. Well, that’s good news for you.” More tapping ensues. “And it seems a spot has opened up in the co-ed dormitory.”
“That’s great! How soon can I move in?” Thank you so much, karma, for not being an asshole today.
She clicks a few more buttons. “Seems to be available immediately. I’ll have to double-check with the residence team, but you could potentially move in as early as this afternoon.”
“Seriously?”
“It looks that way. I can call now and find out, if you’d like.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” I take a seat and wait while she makes a phone call. I can’t believe my luck. Sure, River might be upset that I’m moving out, but after all the crap that’s gone down recently, I need a little separation and some independence. I won’t live in the shadow of my past like this, or allow the rest of my family to keep influencing my decisions because their guilt weighs us all down.
It turns out I can, in fact, move in later this afternoon. I fill out all the required paperwork and then realize after the fact that I’m going to have to call my parents and tell them what I’m doing. Legally, I’m an adult and can make my own choices, but I didn’t tell them I put myself on the waiting list, thinking I’d never get the call. Plus, I’ll have to either use my savings to pay for it or see if my parents are willing to pick up the tab.
My excitement wavers as I return to my car, preparing to make the dreaded call. Video chat is probably the smartest way to go, even though it makes me feel like hurling. I take a few deep, cleansing breaths, pull up my mom’s number—she’s the more reasonable of the two—and hit call. She answers on the second ring, her face appearing in the small screen.
Her hair is pulled up into a messy ponytail, and she’s wearing a pair of bifocals. She’s in her office/sewing room, based on the background. “How’s my favorite daughter?”
I smile. Being the only girl awards me the favorite-daughter title. “I’m good. How are you?”
“Also good. Just working on a project.” She makes a face. “Are you in your car? Is everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah and yeah. Everything is fine. Sort of. I need to tell you something.”
She sits up straighter, and something clatters to the floor. My mom and I have the same clumsy genes. “Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing bad,” I reassure her.
Her eyebrow rises. “Then why do you look like you’re going to chew your lip off?”
I free my lip from my teeth. “I need a better poker face.”
My mom laughs. “Sorry, sweetie, you got all my best and worst traits.” Her expression softens and grows serious. “You can talk to me. You know that, right? Whatever it is, I’m always going to be on your side.”
I nod and glance up at the roof. There’s some kind of stain above my head. I don’t want to know what it is or how it got there. “So, you know how we decided I’d live with Mav and River so I could get settled this year instead of moving into the dorms?”
“Let me guess, living with your brothers is a nightmare?”
I blink a few times, shocked by her reaction. Although maybe I shouldn’t be. This is my mom we’re talking about. She and I have always been a united front against the endless testosterone and smelly sports equipment. Or Robbie’s horrible science experiments. “Um, well, it’s not exactly what I would call fun.”
“Because they’re overprotective slobs who like to party too much and the house is always full of half-drunk jocks?” she offers.
“Uhhh . . . yes to all of the above?”
“I figured as much. Your brothers are idiots, by the way. Just between you and me, I follow them on social media under a fake account, and all of their friends, so I see pretty much everything they do.”
“Oh my God.” I slap a palm over my mouth. “How have they not noticed that?”
“Because it’s a catfish account. I use stock photos of hot girls in bikinis.” She rolls her eyes.
“You’re a genius.”
“Just sneaky.” She tips her head to the side. “So, this hasn’t been the dream scenario we all envisioned?”
“Not really, no. I actually put myself on the waiting list for the dorms.”
“I can understand keeping your options open.”
“And today I got a notification that a room is available.”
