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lasagna his mother had made and spooned a huge pile of
broccoli onto his plate. He looked first at his father, then at
his mother, and then began speaking. "Scott got a B- in
calculus and his father has told him that he can't go out at all,
or use his phone or computer, until he has brought the grade
back up to an A. He got A's in everything else, but apparently
his father expects him to get straight A's."
As he spoke, he saw his parents' brows crease. His mother
watched him studiously, observing his body language. When
he finished, she spoke up. "It sounds like Scott is going
through a difficult time right now, and has some challenging
issues that he is facing at home."
She paused, considering what to say next. "Derek, you do
know that your father and I are very proud of you and are
very happy with your grades. We respect your ability to
balance school and wrestling. Your friends have always been
good people. We love you very much. There's nothing you
could do that would change that." Derek's father's mouth was
full so he simply nodded his agreement with what his mother
had just said.
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Wrestling With Desire
by D.H. Starr
Derek felt a lump form in his throat and took a large gulp
of water to push it back down. "Actually, I was just thinking
about that in the car." His mother clasped her hands in front
of her on the table. "No, not that you had concerns about me.
What I was thinking about is that you both have been really
great. You support everything I do, come to all of my meets,
and rarely give me any trouble over my grades."
He turned to his mother, giving her a meaningful look. He
placed his hand over hers before speaking again. "This is the
house where people always want to come because they know
that you will feed them." She smiled.
Derek took in a deep breath and sighed. It was so much
easier to think the things that he felt. Putting things into
words was always such a struggle. "I guess what I am trying
to say is thank you. I always just assumed that parents were
basically the same, but I'm beginning to see that they're not.
So, thanks for being so cool."
When he finished, his mother's hand reflexively crossed
her chest, resting over her heart. Derek could see her eyes
become slightly pink and she quickly stood up, taking both
her and his father's plates to the sink.
His father looked at him for a moment, and then leaned
back in his chair. "I wish you weren't in such a hurry to grow
up. It must be all those high school drama shows on the
television where all of the kids act like they're twenty-five
instead of seventeen. Your mother and I don't expect you to
tell us that you appreciate us, son. Your actions tell us all we
need to know. You're a good boy. You make good choices. We
trust you. That's thanks enough."
250
Wrestling With Desire
by D.H. Starr
Derek felt the lump begin to form in his throat again. His
father had never spoken to him about feelings of trust. The
sentimental moment was broken by his father's next
comment. "Speaking of parents putting pressure on their
kids, how are you coming along with your college
applications? Deadlines are the end of this month and we
didn't spend all summer trekking up and down the northeast
for the fun of it."
Derek smiled briefly. This is the dad I'm used to. Grateful
for the topic shift, Derek laughed. "I'm almost done with the
essays and my applications should be ready to go in the mail
by the end of next week."
Satisfied, his father got up, gave his mother, who was still
standing by the sink, a kiss, then headed out to the living
room, patting Derek on the head as he passed.
Derek was almost finished with his dinner when his mother
returned to the table. She sat across from him, watching him
eat. It was almost like she was watching him like he was a TV
special on the Nature Channel. "Derek," she paused, looking
as if she were struggling to figure out what she wanted to
say. "What you just said to us was very insightful. You are
growing up so fast. Too fast." She paused again, looking
slightly uncomfortable. "Scott is going through something that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]