Page 102 of Freshmeet
In no time, the table was lined with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a huge pot roast.
“Planning to feed the neighborhood, Mom?” I joked, pushing her chair in.
“Hush, you’ll have leftovers, and Sarah can take some home.”
“With how good everything looks, I’m going to have to hide them from my roommates.”
We piled our plates high, despite my nerves, Jamie’s weird mood, and Sarah’s queasy stomach.
“How many girls do you live with?” Mom asked, passing the rolls.
“Six.”
“Oh my. That’s a lot.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I think I want to try living in a frat house next year,” Jamie said, finally looking a little more at ease.
“As long as you keep up those grades, I’m happy if you’re happy.”
“I know, Mom.” Jamie rolled his eyes and shoved a forkful of a little bit of everything into his mouth. “Ohmygod,” he mumbled.
“Jamie. Manners. We have company.” Mom smiled at Sarah. “So, Sarah, what are you studying?”
Mom knew. Between Jamie and me, we’d told her everything we knew about Sarah. But Colleen McCormick was all about manners and conversation.
Sarah covered her mouth as she chewed and swallowed. “I’m finishing an English and Art History double major. I’ve already been accepted into the MAE program, so I’ll start that next year. The dream is teaching kindergarten or early elementary.”
“Wow.” My mom nodded, clearly impressed.
“Finding a good job will be hard, but I figure someone’s going to need a kindergarten teacher.”
“Your parents must be very proud of you.”
Jamie and I made eye contact across the table. Apparently, neither of us had filled Mom in on her parents’ attitude toward her chosen profession.
“They’d prefer if I were pre-law like my brother, or going for an MBA, but we’re working through that,” Sarah said in an unnaturally chipper voice. It was the mask she put on for everyone else. The performance was pretty amazing, but judging by the look on Mom’s face, she wasn’t buying it.
“It’s a good thing we get to live our lives for ourselves, isn’t it?” Mom took a bite while carefully watching Sarah.
A twitch of the lips was all she got. Sarah was a tough cookie. She wasn’t going to break so easily. “Sure, but back home it’s hard to shake familial responsibility. I’m learning, but some days I wonder if I’m doing the right thing.” Sarah took a big bite, clearly not wanting to talk anymore.
“That’s understandable. I don’t know if Connor told you, but last year I finally got certified to be a nurse practitioner. That whole process was hard on the boys. Connor even put off college to help out around here until I finished school. I felt guilty every day, but in the end, I did what I thought was best for me and my family.”
“And we wouldn’t do it any differently,” I said, squeezing my mom’s hand. “You deserved to go to grad school. I couldn’t give you med school, but we swung you getting that master’s okay.”
Mom laughed. “Maybe I’ll tackle med school in my fifties.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Sarah politely smiled, and I tried to figure out what was going on in her big brain. She’d told me a little bit about her family, but I was realizing I didn’t know enough.
“It’s all about balance. You have to take care of your wants and needs, while supporting your family as best you can,” Mom sagely said.
“I have a confession to make,” Jamie all but shouted.
“Okay?” Mom dabbed the corner of her mouth and placed her napkin next to her plate.
