Page 10 of Emerald Moon
“Hey sweetie.It’s good to hear your voice since you don’t call much anymore.”
There was their mother’s passive aggressive nonsense.It was constant, but usually she tried to act civilized for a few phrases before diving back in.
“I was camping.Bad cell reception.”
“Not for the whole week, surely.”
“Nope.Just for a day!”Jo replied with fake cheer, trying to really hit home the fact that they could call, they had the time to call, but they chose not to.It was their own sort of passive rebellion, the most resistance they could muster when faced with their mother.
“Your sister is finalizing plans for the wedding.Are you still going to come?”
“Yeah, of course.I wouldn’t miss it.”No matter how much being around their family bothered them, Jo wouldn’t miss June’s wedding for anything.They hadn’t spoken much lately with June busy with med school, but it didn’t change that, for a long time, it’d been the two of them against the world, sticking together, especially since their dad had passed.
Everything changed then.Their mom took a hard turn into being awful to be around and all Jo and June had were each other.It’d been about eight years, but none of them had actually processed it, and definitely not together.
“I just don’t know sometimes.You’ve got your own little life without us now, don’t you?”
The word “little” rubbed Jo the wrong way.Having a life away from them was the whole point of moving away and joining a werewolf pack.“Yep, and things are going great!”
“Your little problem isn’t getting in the way?”
Jo’s “little problem” was their bipolar disorder.That was the closest their mother could get to talking about it and accepting it as a real thing.
“Nope, like I said.Doing great,” Jo replied, sharper than intended.The truth was it was always in the way.Even when Jo was doing well, the threat of another depressive episode was looming right around the corner, even with their medication.It was better now, but they weren’t magically cured.They’d been doing well for a while.They were due for another episode and they always snuck up on Jo no matter how many times they’d been through it.
“That’s so good to hear, honey.Have you given any more thought to the college programs I sent you?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’d just love to see you succeed.You were always so smart.You’re wasting your talents at that little bakery.”
The word “little” again set off something in Jo.Everything in their life was little to her, like it was all some adorable choice Jo had made for now before they did something real.
“I like working at the bakery, mom.”This time, the sharp tone was intended.
“Well, sure, it’s fun for now.But what are you going to do?Be there forever?”She laughed.
“Maybe.I think I’d like that.”
“You think that now.Trust me, I’m just looking out for your future.I want what’s best for you.”
“This is what’s best for me.”
“You’re still young.You’ve got time to figure things out still, but time won’t stand still forever!”
“I’m thirty.”
“Right, so you’ve got time, but not a lot.Now’s the moment to start making those changes to make your future better.You’ve already made some choices, like the whole wolf thing, but it’s not too late for everything else.”
That was enough.“I’m almost home.I got to go.”
“Oh, don’t be like that.We all just want what’s best for you.”
“I already know what’s best for me.”
“You think that, sweetie, but with age comes more perspective than what you have now.But, I’ll let you go.Take a look at those programs, will you?And keep an open mind.You never know who you might meet at the wedding!Or in a new class!A good man can help ground you.”
Jo knew that wasn’t true for them, but it might have been true for their mother.Life was different when their father was still alive.Their mom was an entirely different person, someone who had been pleasant to be around, if a bit distant.
