me daily.
“Are you sure, honey? Your dad and I can come out and take you to lunch, or go grocery shopping, or take you to Target if you still need anything for the apartment.” Her voice was so soothing.
Something about my mom’s tone always made me feel better, and I was just about to tell her that when I suddenly heard a lot of barking in the background.
“Did you bring home dogs again?” I asked in a sarcastic tone, already knowing the answer.
My dad owned a local vet clinic, and my mom ran the front desk there. It was the family business, but I wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t that I hated animals or anything like that, but my heart couldn’t handle being around sick pets or putting them down, even when I knew it was for the best. Thankfully, my older sister was all about it, so the Jamison Family Vet Clinic would be falling on her shoulders and not mine.
“We have a couple of rescues that are waiting for homes. It’s fine,” she said, and I pictured her waving me off like it was no big deal, but we both knew that there were far more than just a “couple” there.
My mom had started bringing home pets to foster when my sister and I moved out of the house, making my parents empty nesters.
“The house is too quiet without you girls. I need some chaos,” she used to say before filling it with stray animals in need of their forever homes.
My dad only wanted her to be happy, so he never complained or said a word about it.
“A couple? It sounds like you have a hundred dogs, Mom!”
She laughed. “I wish.” She sounded dreamy, like owning a hundred dogs would be the greatest thing in the world. My mom was officially insane. “You could take one, you know?”
“I actually thought about that, but no. The last thing I need is to worry about a dog living in a one-bedroom apartment,” I said because I had considered it. But the idea of a dog living here with no backyard or doggie door to go outside and potty stressed me out. I knew that I’d never be able to go to class and not worry the whole time about getting back fast enough.
“You’re probably right. Well, if you change your mind, you know who to ask.”
“I know, Mom. Tell Dad I said hi. I’ll call you guys tomorrow. I have to go get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“I’m going to a party,” I said without thinking.
“Ooh! By yourself, or have you made new friends?” she asked, making me feel like I was a schoolgirl.
“By myself. Don’t worry. I know a bunch of the guys on the team, so I won’t be alone for long,” I said before realizing how scandalous that sounded.
“What team? What guys? Sunny—” She started to get that concerned timbre to her voice, and I cut her off.
“Mom, it’s fine. I just meant that it’s the baseball team. You know, the one Danika’s boyfriend was on. I know all the guys. We’re friends,” I exaggerated, hoping she’d buy it and not worry once we hung up.
“Okay,” she said, and more barking ensued. “Well, have fun. Shoot. Comet! Get off the kitchen table! Don’t eat that!” she yelled before I heard the phone clatter. She must have dropped it. “Sunny, I have to go. Be careful!” she shouted, sounding somewhere far off in the distance, and then the call ended.
I laughed and rolled my eyes before realizing that talking to her had helped me make up my mind. I was definitely going to the party.
*
One of the downsides to living alone was that I had no one to get ready for parties with. There was no one to tell me that I looked cute, to compliment my outfit, or to make sure I wasn’t making a complete fool of myself with my chosen attire. It was an adjustment I hadn’t quite gotten used to yet, I realized as I picked out clothes. Danika had always given me her honest opinion whenever it came to this kind of thing, but now, I had to trust myself when I looked in the mirror, and I wasn’t always the best person for the job. Sometimes, I wore things a little too inappropriate without realizing it.
I never tried to be racy with my clothes, but it could look that way to people who didn’t really know me. I’d learned in college