Family Ties
Parker thinks that there’s probably something symbolic about the fact that is was on her birthday-her 19th-that she began quietly drafting her own personal Declaration of Independence.
Her parents had come out from Denver to see her. They hadn’t called to tell her that they would be coming. That was not how Mr. and Mrs. Lee operated where their child was concerned. It was simply taken as a matter of course that they would arrive in Neptune and Parker would be theirs for the duration of their stay.
It was pure bad luck that they had found her sitting cozily on a bench with Logan. There had been no escape for him after that. The next thing Parker had known, they were all sitting down to an uncomfortable lunch in the campus dining hall. And Parker couldn’t decide if she was grateful to have Logan there for moral support, or humiliated to have him witness her being reduced to the equivalent of a recalcitrant eight-year-old.
“Oh, and I was able to pull a few strings and get you that job in the mailroom I was telling you about,” Mr. Lee said, stirring his iced tea.
“Parker,” Mrs. Lee interjected, with a sharp look. “Elbows.”
Cheeks burning, Parker had slid her elbows off the plastic food court table, too embarrassed to look at Logan, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Smart of him. Best not to attract too much attention.
“It's only for a few weeks,” Mr. Lee continued, unconcerned by the short byplay, “but it's enough for you to make some spending money before we leave for your Aunt Louise's.”
Parker squared her shoulders a bit and took a deep breath. She had had in mind what she would say since her father had broached the topic of the mailroom two weeks previously. She had rehearsed it and everything.
”Thanks, Dad. But I was thinking of looking for a job at a-a day-care or something.” In Parker’s mind, even a few weeks in a mail room was a few weeks too many.
Her father had only raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “So you can spend the summer with a cold and ruin everyone's vacation? I don't think so.”
And that had been the end of the discussion as far as her parents were concerned. That was the way it had always been. And a year earlier, Parker would have conceded.
But a lot had happened in the intervening year.
And Parker had decided, quietly and irrevocably, that she had had enough.
It hadn’t been pretty. It hadn’t been loud or dramatic. No shouting, no throwing things, no I hate you and no If you leave now, young lady, you don’t come back ultimatums. But it hadn’t been pretty. Control was not something that her parents were prepared to give up without a fight. Of course, there wasn’t much that they were able to due in the face of a daughter who was a legal adult, except employ guilt (which they did) and argue for the power of the purse strings (which they also hadn’t hesitated to do).
So Parker had cut the strings of her own accord.
Fortunately, her college fund was in her own name. Parker had been taken a moment to be grateful for that more than once. She was also grateful for Mr. Rosenbaum, the Study Abroad advisor, who had helped her put together her application and grant and scholarship paperwork for a year in Spain. And for Grandma Lee who had, with no awkward questions, extended an invitation for Parker to spend the summer with her in Virginia.
Parker had kept in touch with her parents while she was abroad, emailing a couple of times a week. And they had answered. Short answers. Very polite answers. But answers. Parker had taken some hope from that. And the few weeks she had spent back in Denver between returning to the States and returning to Hearst? Well, it hadn’t been all sunshine and happy reunions. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were clearly still having a hard time adapting to the changes in their only child, who was no longer so willing to be overawed and ordered around.
Maybe in another twenty years, they’ll have reached an amiable accord. Though Parker is really hoping that it won’t take quite that long.
Her parents had come out from Denver to see her. They hadn’t called to tell her that they would be coming. That was not how Mr. and Mrs. Lee operated where their child was concerned. It was simply taken as a matter of course that they would arrive in Neptune and Parker would be theirs for the duration of their stay.
It was pure bad luck that they had found her sitting cozily on a bench with Logan. There had been no escape for him after that. The next thing Parker had known, they were all sitting down to an uncomfortable lunch in the campus dining hall. And Parker couldn’t decide if she was grateful to have Logan there for moral support, or humiliated to have him witness her being reduced to the equivalent of a recalcitrant eight-year-old.
“Oh, and I was able to pull a few strings and get you that job in the mailroom I was telling you about,” Mr. Lee said, stirring his iced tea.
“Parker,” Mrs. Lee interjected, with a sharp look. “Elbows.”
Cheeks burning, Parker had slid her elbows off the plastic food court table, too embarrassed to look at Logan, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Smart of him. Best not to attract too much attention.
“It's only for a few weeks,” Mr. Lee continued, unconcerned by the short byplay, “but it's enough for you to make some spending money before we leave for your Aunt Louise's.”
Parker squared her shoulders a bit and took a deep breath. She had had in mind what she would say since her father had broached the topic of the mailroom two weeks previously. She had rehearsed it and everything.
”Thanks, Dad. But I was thinking of looking for a job at a-a day-care or something.” In Parker’s mind, even a few weeks in a mail room was a few weeks too many.
Her father had only raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “So you can spend the summer with a cold and ruin everyone's vacation? I don't think so.”
And that had been the end of the discussion as far as her parents were concerned. That was the way it had always been. And a year earlier, Parker would have conceded.
But a lot had happened in the intervening year.
And Parker had decided, quietly and irrevocably, that she had had enough.
It hadn’t been pretty. It hadn’t been loud or dramatic. No shouting, no throwing things, no I hate you and no If you leave now, young lady, you don’t come back ultimatums. But it hadn’t been pretty. Control was not something that her parents were prepared to give up without a fight. Of course, there wasn’t much that they were able to due in the face of a daughter who was a legal adult, except employ guilt (which they did) and argue for the power of the purse strings (which they also hadn’t hesitated to do).
So Parker had cut the strings of her own accord.
Fortunately, her college fund was in her own name. Parker had been taken a moment to be grateful for that more than once. She was also grateful for Mr. Rosenbaum, the Study Abroad advisor, who had helped her put together her application and grant and scholarship paperwork for a year in Spain. And for Grandma Lee who had, with no awkward questions, extended an invitation for Parker to spend the summer with her in Virginia.
Parker had kept in touch with her parents while she was abroad, emailing a couple of times a week. And they had answered. Short answers. Very polite answers. But answers. Parker had taken some hope from that. And the few weeks she had spent back in Denver between returning to the States and returning to Hearst? Well, it hadn’t been all sunshine and happy reunions. Mr. and Mrs. Lee were clearly still having a hard time adapting to the changes in their only child, who was no longer so willing to be overawed and ordered around.
Maybe in another twenty years, they’ll have reached an amiable accord. Though Parker is really hoping that it won’t take quite that long.