AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Really? Because you’ve decided everything, from my extracurriculars throughout school to which college you want me to go to. And now you want to control my relationships too?”
She swallows, shaking her head. “I want you to have the best possible life you can. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about where your next paycheck is coming from. I want to give you every opportunity. This is how I show my love.”
“This is how you’ll lose your son.”
My heart drops. I tug on his arm.
Her eyes start to water. They’re filled with rage, and it’s aimed toward me. “You never talked to me like this before her.”
Jordy’s eyes grow big, watching everything unfold, but he doesn’t add to the conversion.
Caleb straightens. “You’re right. That’s because she sees me. She makes me feel like the things I want are important—that I matter. If you really did care about me like you say, you’d try to understand me instead of just pushing me to do what you want. And if you think forcing her away is going to magically change my mind, you’re wrong.”
“If you could just try to understand my view—”
“I know your view. You blame Becca for every time I’ve ever been in trouble, and you think she’s the reason I don’t want to go to college. That’s not true. I was the one getting Becca in trouble. I’m the one who doesn’t want to go to college. They’re my choices, then and now. I think you should try and see my view because Becca is supportive and kind. She cares about our family. She’s gone out of her way, more than once, to be there for us. Jordy loves her, don’t you?” He turns to his brother.
Jordy nods. “She helps me with math.”
“She’s the whole reason he came down just now. Do you think she would do that if she didn’t care about us?”
Mrs. Park’s eyes falter.
Caleb continues. “She told me what you planned to do if we stayed together. It’s messed up, Eomma. If you really care aboutme, you wouldn’t punish her like that. What her dad did is not her fault. You’ve spent years trying not to let us be defined by what Appa did, so why would you define Becca by what her dad did? It’s hypocritical. Doing these kinds of things will only push me away.”
She’s quiet for a moment, digesting every word he said. “Do you really think I don’t listen to you? That I don’t see you?”
“If you did, you wouldn’t be doing this,” he says simply. “You wouldn’t be trying to force your decisions on me.”
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“You’re the one hurting me. Can’t you see that?”
I want to hide. Even though I haven’t said anything, I feel like I’m on display. Unfortunately, my dress poofs out too much to hide behind Caleb’s suit.
Caleb turns to leave, tugging on my hand to follow.
“Wait,” Mrs. Park says.
Caleb pauses.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice is small as if the words don’t want to come out.
Caleb faces her again. “Is that it?”
“You really don’t want to go to Stanford?”
“I don’t.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks.
Caleb sighs. “I’ve tried, but you don’t listen. The college I go to should be my decision. The relationships I have . . .” He squeezes my hand and nods firmly. “Should be my decision. I’m almost an adult, and I need you to trust me. I want you to believe in me and what I want to do.”
Her gaze falls on him. She’s seeing him in a new light for the first time. “What do you want to do?”
He takes in a shaky breath, then meets her eyes with confidence. “I want to pursue my music.”
“What if that doesn’t work out? Shouldn’t you have a plan b?”
