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Lizzie rolls her eyes before begrudgingly walking down the stairs and giving me an obligatory hug. I laugh to myself.
Jade pulls me into the house, taking my coat and throwing it on one of the dining room chairs. Then she tries to get me to eat, heating me up a plate as if I’ve just finished some perilous journey. When the truth is, it was only a ninety-minute drive from campus.
“Your dad is in a meeting, and your mom’s on the phone, but I’m sure you want to see him first anyway,” she says as she winces. Pressing my lips together awkwardly, I nod.
“You think she’ll freak out?” I ask.
She quickly shakes her head. “I’ve never known her to freak out,” she replies. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, buddy.”
“Thanks, Jade,” I reply. Her eyes meet mine, and there’s warmth in them as she comes closer and rubs my shoulder affectionately.
“Now eat up. I have to take the girls to ballet rehearsal soon, but we’ll make sure to catch up more when I get back, okay?”
“Okay, thanks,” I say before quickly scarfing down the leftover lasagna she prepared. My sisters are still carrying on upstairs, and I pull out my phone to check my messages, but there are none.
When I hear heavy footsteps from down the hall, I quickly spin around to see my dad coming toward me. He’s wearing a proud smile under that thick salt-and-pepper beard he’s started growing.
“Hey, kid,” he says with excitement.
I climb off the barstool and cross the room to greet him with a hug. When he pulls away, he places his hand on my shoulder. “How’ve you been?”
I shrug. “Doing good. Just working and…you know.”
He laughs haughtily. “Yes, I do. Big change coming up.”
My eyes dart toward the hall where I know my mom’s office hides. He notices my nervous hesitation and guides me toward his own office on the other side. “Come on. You need a drink before you go in there.”
Once we’re closed into his cozy office with the high ceilings and tall bookshelves, he pulls out a bottle of whiskey he keeps hidden in the cabinet. It makes me laugh to see it, remembering the time my friends and I snuck it out and tried to replace it with sweet tea, thinking he wouldn’t notice.
He did, and I was grounded for a month.
“How’s work?” he asks.
I shrug. “The same,” I reply. “Boring. Repetitive.”
“Not for long,” he says as he hands me a glass.
“I’m ready.”
“I know you are.” With that, he tips up his glass and takes a sip before I do the same.
A couple of years ago, I graduated with my degree in business management, but the only work I could find was lifeless and menial. I don’t know what I was expecting with a degree like that, but I want more.
My parents never raised me to worry about money. They encouraged me to follow my dreams, but for some reason, when I hit college, I stalled out. I picked something safe and predictable.
I just kept thinking about everything my mother had sacrificed to give me the life she thought I deserved. I was terrified I would waste that on something trivial or indulgent. So I took the safe route.
I felt like I was reliving that day when I was twelve, and she sat me down and told me everything. About my abusive biological father. How she had to hide me from him for years until he died. How she created an entire persona and a whole new life just for me.
What kind of asshole would I be if I took that opportunity and wasted it on one failure after another?
My life has been safe and predictable ever since.
“I think this is gonna be good for you, Jack. You need a change. A fresh start.”
“You think she’ll feel the same?” I ask without looking up.
“I know she will. Your mother only wants what’s best for you. If you’re happy, she’s happy.”
