Kate
Family time.The worst time there is.
And who are they kidding anyway? All this three of us getting together in public really is is just an excuse to project an image for everyone else to see. An image of a perfect, well-put-together unit that everyone else should aspire to be.
The successful and retired father, the homemaker wife, and their perfect little well-behaved daughter—me.
“The portfolio’s doing well,” my dad says into his phone to whoever he’s talking to—his broker or one of his friends. “Better than expected, yes! Everyone was talking about how the market would be down and we’d all be losing money, but those people just don’t know how to invest.”
He laughs. The other person replies with something that just makes him laugh even harder. I cringe and wish that I was one of those troubled rich girls who had developed a serious drug or drinking problem at sixteen so I had some way of drowning all of this out.
What I really want to do is run off and go find Christian, but there’s just no way for me to do that right now. Even if I could, he probably hates me for ditching him last night.
Of course I didn’t ditch him on purpose; my mom had me under CIA level surveillance as though she thought I was going to sneak out to meet him for the first time, not knowing of course that we’d already done that (and quite a bit more).
I’ve been thinking about him all morning.
I dreamt about him too. It’s crazy how much he’s been on my mind. I’ve been tingling and feeling this heavy feeling in my stomach that has nothing to do with food.
I know you could say I barely know him. I know I’ve only just met him. I know I’ve only even slept with him once…
But I am also pretty sure that I’m falling for Christian.
“Hell no, I’m not selling!” my father’s voice booms like lightning, nearly jolting me from my seat.
“I think I’m going to go for a walk,” I say to my mother as I rise the rest of the way.
“Honey,” she says, practically scolding me as she lowers her magazine, “we’re having family time.”
“Family time? While Dad’s on the phone and you’re reading Crate and Barrel?”
“Mm-hmm.” She nods. “Now sit down and relax. That’s what vacations are for.”
She’s got that look in her eyes that tells me I better not push this or it’s going to turn into something ugly. I sit back down, but part of me wants to scream.
I’m eighteen and still letting my mother boss me around like a twelve-year-old. If only I was heading away to college next year. But I guess that’s just another life choice my parents don’t think is necessary for me to make.
I take a deep breath, tilt my head back, and close my eyes.
Relax, I tell myself. Family day can’t be that bad.
“Hey there, good lookin’.” But then family day turns into something else entirely as Malcom’s voice rings out above me like one of those horns they blare at concerts to get the crowd hyped. “You’re looking beautiful today.”
“Gee, thanks,” I reply, not even opening my eyes.
“Thought I’d come by and take you for a walk.”
Doesn’t even ask.
“Oh, we’re having a family day,” I reply.
“Nonsense, sweetie,” my mom chimes in. “Malcom is basically family, you two should go!”
“But, Mom, you were just saying—”
“Never mind what I was just saying, Katherine,” she snaps, getting up from her chair and practically tossing me out of mine as she lifts me to my feet. “Go on now. Your father and I will still be here when you two return.”
I glance over at my dad, putting on my best pouty face, hoping he’ll understand and do something about it, but he’s so wrapped up in his stocks and bonds conversation that he just gives me a happy nod and a smile as though we just shared some kind of father-daughter moment.