Summer Sanders is going through it. The pressures of school are mounting, and her home life is completely falling apart. Feeling bored and lonely on a Saturday night, she decides to get buzzed and surprise her hookup buddy with her best lingerie. Th...
Ops! Esta imagem não segue as nossas directrizes de conteúdo. Para continuares a publicar, por favor, remova-a ou carrega uma imagem diferente.
MY FATHER DIDN'T even make it for dinner. He called right after Jennifer set the table to say it he was stuck at the office. Something about trying to obtain some lucrative land so he can build another neighborhood of McMansions.
That's why I was surprised when he knocked at my door at 11pm to demand I meet him in his office for a talk in half an hour. He didn't outright demand, but he requested it in his usual dominating tone. It's the same tone he uses to obtain things he wants, like a piece of lucrative land.
I think I've spent the moments afterwards completely spaced out, which is why Summer shakes me and looks from her laptop with concern.
"Don't think too much into it. This is a step that needed to be taken years ago. I think you'll both feel much better afterwards," she says and reaches over the kiss my forehead.
Her words don't soothe my nerves but I nod anyways just to ease her concern.
She's working on her homework again, something she's done every free chance she's gotten since we've been here. I never thought nursing was an easy major, but damn, a lot of work goes into keeping up with the material. Makes me glad I choose business.
At least we were able to work through our little situation earlier. Obviously, I'm bummed she can't bring herself to say she loves me back, but it's complicated, we're complicated. I meant what I said to her, when she finds the ability to say it one day, it would be great. If she can never reciprocate it, at least I'll know I held up my end of our promise.
That's a possible problem for the future, for now, I have more pressing concerns.
I have to drag myself downstairs to my dad's home office. Even though the door is left ajar I still knock anyways. I see Jennifer lean down to give my dad a kiss then hurry past me with a sympathetic smile I don't return.
"Come in, son." He bellows from his desk.
I blow out a breathe and stare at my feet as I enter and close the door behind me. I almost reach back over to reopen it just for the comfort of a quick exit.
"Well, take a seat," he says, ushering towards the two chairs set in front of his oak desk.
I fall into the seat and run my hand through my hair. God, do I wish I'd decided to stay at school.
Silence takes over and I steer my eyes towards the family photo hung on the wall. The framed photo of dad, Jennifer, and Mila smiling happily in matching white outfits. I'm not in the photo, of course. The invitation was sent, I just didn't feel the need to accept it. What did I look like faking such an image?
Now as I look at it, I feel this irritation build up. I can't take my eyes off of my dad's frozen smile. I stare at it like I want to shame him into turning it into a frown. He's succeeded alright, he's replaced us. Me and my mom.
"Son," he says, snapping me away from his smiling photo to his present face, which is to my wish, is turned into a frown.
