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“I haven’t.”
“And I haven’t crushed your art,” Sandra added. “Neither of
us have tried to step all over you, Emily. We’ve tried to protect
you. That’s all.”
“If that’s really what you’re trying to do, you’re being too
protective. But I don’t feel protected. I feel ignored. I feel
smothered. I feel like I’m just an afterthought for you both. A
burden that needs to be dealt with. A problem to be solved.”
“Emily!” Sandra gasped sharply.
“Emily,” Peter cautioned.
It had been so long since they’d had a family discussion,
Emily had almost forgotten what it was like. She knew that if
she let them, they’d talk over her, tell her what they wanted,
tell her what she had to do, and force her to agree. They still
wouldn’t hear her. They still wouldn’t see her.
“I got married today,” she said softly, moderating her tone.
“I did it and I made sure there was no publicity. No media, no
one following me around. I could have easily put photos on
my social media, but I didn’t. I wanted to talk to you first. I
didn’t want it to be a bribe. I just wanted you to see me. To see
that I’m serious. Ser
ious about who I want to be, who I want to
date, and serious about who I don’t want to be, which is a
lawyer or anything close. I want to be an artist. It’s not
unreasonable for me to ask you to help me. Give me a start. I
promise I’ll put the work in. Do what it takes.”
Sandra shook her head vehemently, her face pale. “I would
never let you do half the things I had to do to get where I am.
You’re my daughter, Emily, and even if you don’t believe that
I want what’s best for you, I do. You’re not an afterthought.”
