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Me: Knee-deep in unpacking. Just wanted to check in and let you know I’m good.
Dad: The flight okay? How’s the house?
Nice as the pictures? You’ve got your own room, right?
With hours to obsess since we last talked, he’s worked himself into a frenzy. As usual.
Me: Yep, it’s all good.
Dad: How are the new roommates? Nice girls?
I hate this. It puts a pit in my stomach knowing what I’m about to do.
Me: Yeah, great. We all had breakfast this morning. I think I’m going to like it here.
Not one of my proudest moments. Lying does cast a pall over what is otherwise an extraordinary opportunity, the chance for me to expand my horizons while furthering my education.
But knowing the truth now would only compound his already heightened state of separation anxiety. A few weeks, though. A month or two. He’ll have adjusted by then, come to terms with the empty nest. I’ll tell him then. At which point, I’m sure he’ll understand why I had to fudge a few facts.
Dad: Well, don’t like it too much. Counting the days till you come home.
He’s such a softy.
Me: Christmas will be here before you know it. Don’t decorate the tree without me.
Dad: Deal. Call me later. Any time. Never too late or early.
Maybe I should look into an emotional support rabbit or something for him.
Me: Will do. Love you. Bye.
There’s a quick knock at my door, and then Lee cracks it open to inform me there’s a house meeting in ten minutes. Thatgives me enough time to reply to Eliza, who’d sent a few texts last night.
Me: Guess who ended up in a house with three dudes?
To my total astonishment, she’s awake.
Eliza: Are they hot?
Me: I think one is gay, but yeah.
Eliza: Slut.
Me: This one, Jack, he’s Australian and plays rugby.
Eliza: And you want to have like 10,000 of his rugby babies.
Me: I’m pretty sure he could bench-press my horse.
Eliza: Super slut.
Me: I haven’t told my dad. He still thinks they’re girls. So keep this on the DL, k?
Eliza: Lol. Yeah, don’t tell him. At least not before you insert-suggestive-rugby-reference-here with Hot Jack.
I really need to learn something about rugby.
Downstairs in the living room, I find Lee in an armchair beside the fireplace. Jack and Jamie sit on either end of the sofa, Jamie’s finger compulsively swiping across his phone’s screen.
