Chapter 172 The Panel Meeting

• "I told you to be careful because you are young, Alex. He is almost twice your age. I told you that he had more life experiences you can only dream of. This relationship, it isn't fair on you. You probably can't see it now but you are getting the short end of the stick. I can't watch you spend your youth like this, Alex. This is the time of your life to be young and free and unburdened, you can't spend it dating a man with a kid and a mad ex wife." It is one thing we have come to agree on. That Daisy is insane. She didn't hesitate to believe me after I told her about how Daisy was stalking me and being weird.
• "Mom, I am young, but I am not naive. I matured almost ten years above my age after we lost dad. I am not a kid. I am not going to spend my 'youth' being free and unburdened as you put it because it would never happen for me. I am already burdened, Mom. I understand your worries and I am sorry that I have disappointed you or that I am not going to listen to you, but it is something I know deep inside. I can't let him go, mom. Please, all I ask is that you trust me." My vision blurs. I hate thinking about my dad. I hate talking about him with my mom. It is still such a deep raw wound that hasn't even begun to heal. For me and all of us. Even Lauren and her vapid sixteen year old senior high school cheerleading brain. We don't talk about him because it just hurts too much. I suspect it is the reason why my mother works so much, she has to keep herself busy so she doesn't miss him. It is why I went to college in faraway New York.
• "I just don't know, Alex. I am afraid I might be letting him down, watching you go ahead with this." She says, through my blurry eyes, I can see her own eyes being wet.