“Take him back, Paige. He’s sent a dozen apology texts and now this. If you don’t want him, let me know. We’ll get him set up on gaytok and he’ll be snatched up in no time. Boy’s got abs for days.”
“Oh my god, ew. Stop talking about my boyfriend’s abs,” I grumble.
“So, he is your boyfriend? Or not? Because I know you broke up, but I also know he made a mistake. Granted, a pretty fucking big one, but a mistake all the same. And he’s apologized. And I saw the two of you together— you were happy, Princess P. Don’t give that up just because you’re hurt.”
I sulk, because I know my brother has a point. But still, I can’t shake that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach when I remember our fight in his car. I don’t want to put myself through that again.
I finish the last of my bagel and get up to dump our trash. “I’ll think about it, but I don’t know, Jake. It really fucking hurts.”
He stands up from our wobbly food court table, tosses his empty drink cup, and gives me a quick hug. “I know, kiddo.”
“Now come on,” I tell him, shrugging out of his embrace. I need a suit and heels for my meeting tonight. “I saw a pair of heels in the window at Dutton’s and I want to try them on.”
I ended up buying the heels— I couldn’t resist them. They’re pink peep-toes with a four-inch heel and a teeny tiny bow right at the back of the heel. Who could resist that?
And it’s a good thing I bought them, because I need some kick-ass power shoes tonight.
I stride into the dining room, where my parents are sitting and drinking coffee. If they think it’s odd that I’m dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase, they don’t mention it.
“I need a minute of your time,” I tell them, pretending I’m not nervous as hell. Things have been good this holiday, despite my big announcement last week about forgoing law school. Everyone is looking forward to the new year and the new baby. It also helps that Jake took a little of the heat off of me by telling them he’s been accepted to Duke. My mom is beside herself at the idea that one of her kids would move that far away. It wouldn’t surprise me if my parents decided to buy a vacation home in North Carolina, just so they can visit their boys.
But tonight isn’t about any of that.
“What do you want to talk about, Paige?” my mother asks.
“My future,” I say, and that gets their attention. It takes me a minute to set up the research and visuals I’ve spent the last few days gathering.
“What’s all this?” my dad asks.
“I know your dream for me has always been law school, but, as you know, it’s not quite the right fit for me. I realize that this means you won’t be paying for my education, and I understand that. But I want to show you what I’ve been up to.”
“Paige—” my dad starts to interrupt.
“Let her finish, Phil,” my mom chides.
“This portfolio contains all of the presentations I’ve done for various classes over the last few years. And this chart shows the success rates of products I feature on my vlog. You can see that some of these products weren’t on anyone’s radar, but once I started giving them attention, my followers noticed and sales went up.”
My parents look through everything I’ve provided and it probably sounds silly, but it makes me proud to see them looking at my work and taking it seriously.
“This is a copy of my most recent transcript, and these are the schedule changes I’m planning to make when I switch my major to marketing.” They share a look, but I can’t read it, so I keep going. “It’ll mean taking courses this summer, but I’m fine with that. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“So, you’re planning to stay in Vermont this summer?” Dad asks.
“Yes. I’ve already spoken with my new advisor and she’s registered me for the right courses. Emma and I are thinking of getting a place off campus.”
“Seems like you’ve thought of everything,” my mother says, and is that pride I detect in her tone?
“Yes. I even have a plan to apply for a loan. My vlog earnings will pay for my apartment and food. If you aren’t willing to fund my education because of my change in major, I understand, but I really think marketing is the right fit for me. I was never quite sure where I belonged, but Spencer said he pegged me for a marketing major, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. It’s what I already do and I’m excited to learn more about it and hopefully help small businesses maximize their budgets to get their products in the right hands.”
My parents just look at me. And...here we go. Once again, I’m the weirdo. I doubt any of my siblings ever dressed up to pitch their future plans to Mom and Dad. I brace myself for the worst: their laughter, or maybe a pat on the head and a wish for good luck.
Instead, before I fully understand what is happening, they’re both rounding the table and hugging me.
“Oh, sweetie, this was wonderful!” my mom says.
“Look at these charts, Monica. She’s a natural at this.”
What the hell is happening?
