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“I’m not sure. I’ve never given it any thought. I’ve been told over and over again that I had to do one thing and one thing only. I had no choice.”
I take her hand in mine. “Listen, you can have your own voice. You shouldn’t let anyone control your future for you. If you don’t want to go down the path that they’re telling you to, then don’t.”
“But I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to do what you did.”
“What you do is, make it look like your following their plan. But have your own. Act like you’re doing what they want, but work towards your plan quietly, just below the surface.”
“How did you do it?” she asks, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“I made a plan with my guidance counselor. I told them what I wanted and worked with them towards that goal. Mom and dad never knew what I was planning. My counselor helped me with filling out applications, with applying to schools and everything else. I had a friend’s parents pay for my application fees and hid my excitement when I was accepted into a few schools. Mom and dad didn’t know until the day that they approached me with my acceptance letter into seminary school.”
“You applied?” she questions.
“No, they did.”
“Oh.”
“Listen, I did it and you can to. Be strong, and I will do whatever you need me to do to help.”
She looks up at me in shock. “You will? Even after—”
“You’re my sister. Sure, that whole thing sucked. But Dean and I will be okay. I get it, you wanted the pressure off of you. You saw an escape route, but mom and dad would have pushed this shit on you too, even if I went with what they wanted.”
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”
“You are.”
Chapter Ten
Dean
We have the turkey in the oven. Kaley and her sister started working on some of the sides yesterday, so those just need to go in the oven whenever the timers that they set on their phones chime. They have some weird system and it’s been interesting to watch.
They move in the kitchen together. It’s a choreographed dance, they silently hand one another something, and they both know what to do with it. I’ve never witnessed such a quiet Thanksgiving prep, but they make it look effortless.
The turkey was my single job.
I woke up early and followed a recipe on a website, then popped the bird in the oven and went back to sleep for a few hours.
My sister is talking with Maddie about some of her classes and Kaley is sitting beside me on the couch, tucked under my arm when there’s a knock on the door.
“That must be my parents,” I say, standing.
Once I open the door, my mom throws herself at me which makes my legs move back to steady myself at the onslaught of sudden weight.
“I’m so glad to see you, boy!” she says, pulling herself away and placing her hands on both sides of my face.
“Hey mom,” I smile.
“You look so handsome,” she gushes.
She looks away from me and bounces away as Denise stands up and gets the same greeting that I did.
“Son,” dad sticks his hand out.
“Dad.” I place my hand in his.
“Thank God you and your sister planned to do this. I don’t think I could have stood a meal with your aunts right now. Since they just got divorced, they’ve been raising enough hell that your mother was dreading Thanksgiving.” He smiles.
