box has sat all closed up in the cellar of our basement for many years.
I took it because I remember looking at it as a kid. It was on the mantle above
the fireplace for many years, until one day my mother took it down and boxed it
up.”
“I found it in our basement, and now it’s up in
my room on my bookshelf.”
“It’s in your room?” He looked startled, and I
heard my mom drop a dish in the sink.
“Oh, sorry, Dad. I
guess I should have asked first. Do you want me to put in back in the
basement?”
“No, no. You won’t be here much longer before
you have to go back to school anyway.” He went back to flipping through the
book.
I wondered what that meant. Obviously the rock
had sentimental value to my father. I had taken it up to college with me this
past year, as a memento of home, but now I would have to remember to put it
back in the basement instead of taking it with me back to school.
Back to school.
I hadn’t mentioned my academic failures to my
parents yet. I was legally an adult, and old enough to make my own decisions
about my life, but somehow I still felt like a child under my parents’ rule.
They would be disappointed when I told them about my academic probation, that was for sure. Maybe they didn’t have to
know. At least not yet.
I looked over at my dad, still paging through
the scrapbook and taking notes. I was so proud of my father. He was always a
goal-orientated person and never a quitter. I was sure he wouldn’t stop until he
traced our family line at least a hundred years further than my grandfather
had.
I couldn’t quit, either. I had to do better
next semester.
“Good luck, Dad.” I said. “Let me know if I can
do anything to help.” I kissed him on the forehead and walked into the kitchen
to say good morning to my mother.
“How was your date last night?” she asked.
“It was good, Mom. I really like Nolan.” I
picked up a piece of toast and began to butter it.
She poured a glass of orange juice and handed it
to me. “Nolan seems like a very nice young man.”
“Thanks, Mom. I think so too.” I took a bite of
toast, chewing for a few seconds before I continued. “I’m going to spend the
day with him. You don’t think it’s too soon, do you?” I knew not a lot of people
were able to have an open relationship with their mother, but I was happy that
I felt comfortable talking with her about my love life.
“If it feels right, then it’s not too soon.”
She took a drink of juice from her own cup. “You have a good head on your
shoulders, Ava. I’m not at all concerned that you are jumping into anything
before you are ready.” She scooped up some eggs with her fork and poked them in
the air at me. “But with that said , make sure you
aren’t jumping into anything before you are ready, if you know what I mean.”
I knew exactly what she meant.
Later I sat on the couch in the front living
room pretending to read the paper. I was really stealing glances out the front
window at Animal Island. Nolan’s car wasn’t parked outside of his cabin. I
wondered where he was and if the clock could move a bit faster so ten o’clock
could roll around.
I tried to busy myself with the newspaper until
I noticed Nolan’s car pull up in front of the house. I jumped up, grabbed my
bag, and yelled to my parents that I was heading out.
Nolan was out of the car and coming up the
walkway when I met him. He kissed me quick on the lips and said “Good morning,
beautiful.”
“It was a long night without you,” I said
flirtatiously.
“I agree. But at least we have the whole day to
spend with each other.”
I smiled at him, and then he turned and we got
inside the fancy silver car. “Where are we off to this morning?” I inquired
while I buckled my seatbelt.
He pulsed his eyebrows
but said nothing as we pulled away from my house and drove down Minnesota
Avenue towards Oak Street. I was proud of Nolan for learning the local back
roads so quickly. He’d be a true
I took it because I remember looking at it as a kid. It was on the mantle above
the fireplace for many years, until one day my mother took it down and boxed it
up.”
“I found it in our basement, and now it’s up in
my room on my bookshelf.”
“It’s in your room?” He looked startled, and I
heard my mom drop a dish in the sink.
“Oh, sorry, Dad. I
guess I should have asked first. Do you want me to put in back in the
basement?”
“No, no. You won’t be here much longer before
you have to go back to school anyway.” He went back to flipping through the
book.
I wondered what that meant. Obviously the rock
had sentimental value to my father. I had taken it up to college with me this
past year, as a memento of home, but now I would have to remember to put it
back in the basement instead of taking it with me back to school.
Back to school.
I hadn’t mentioned my academic failures to my
parents yet. I was legally an adult, and old enough to make my own decisions
about my life, but somehow I still felt like a child under my parents’ rule.
They would be disappointed when I told them about my academic probation, that was for sure. Maybe they didn’t have to
know. At least not yet.
I looked over at my dad, still paging through
the scrapbook and taking notes. I was so proud of my father. He was always a
goal-orientated person and never a quitter. I was sure he wouldn’t stop until he
traced our family line at least a hundred years further than my grandfather
had.
I couldn’t quit, either. I had to do better
next semester.
“Good luck, Dad.” I said. “Let me know if I can
do anything to help.” I kissed him on the forehead and walked into the kitchen
to say good morning to my mother.
“How was your date last night?” she asked.
“It was good, Mom. I really like Nolan.” I
picked up a piece of toast and began to butter it.
She poured a glass of orange juice and handed it
to me. “Nolan seems like a very nice young man.”
“Thanks, Mom. I think so too.” I took a bite of
toast, chewing for a few seconds before I continued. “I’m going to spend the
day with him. You don’t think it’s too soon, do you?” I knew not a lot of people
were able to have an open relationship with their mother, but I was happy that
I felt comfortable talking with her about my love life.
“If it feels right, then it’s not too soon.”
She took a drink of juice from her own cup. “You have a good head on your
shoulders, Ava. I’m not at all concerned that you are jumping into anything
before you are ready.” She scooped up some eggs with her fork and poked them in
the air at me. “But with that said , make sure you
aren’t jumping into anything before you are ready, if you know what I mean.”
I knew exactly what she meant.
Later I sat on the couch in the front living
room pretending to read the paper. I was really stealing glances out the front
window at Animal Island. Nolan’s car wasn’t parked outside of his cabin. I
wondered where he was and if the clock could move a bit faster so ten o’clock
could roll around.
I tried to busy myself with the newspaper until
I noticed Nolan’s car pull up in front of the house. I jumped up, grabbed my
bag, and yelled to my parents that I was heading out.
Nolan was out of the car and coming up the
walkway when I met him. He kissed me quick on the lips and said “Good morning,
beautiful.”
“It was a long night without you,” I said
flirtatiously.
“I agree. But at least we have the whole day to
spend with each other.”
I smiled at him, and then he turned and we got
inside the fancy silver car. “Where are we off to this morning?” I inquired
while I buckled my seatbelt.
He pulsed his eyebrows
but said nothing as we pulled away from my house and drove down Minnesota
Avenue towards Oak Street. I was proud of Nolan for learning the local back
roads so quickly. He’d be a true
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