Chapter Twenty-Four

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For three days I’ve been perfectly on track with my eating plan. My portions small, healthy and low fat. It was a hard breakup, but I had to say goodbye to Ben

and Jerry’s for the second time. I’ve jogged every morning. In our park. It’s scary as all get out. What if I see him? What if it breaks me? But you know what? This is where I like to run and even though we’re over, it doesn’t mean I have to find somewhere else to go. It doesn’t have to be our spot anymore. It can be my spot.

Em even came with me once. Jogging so isn’t her thing, but I realize something. It is my thing. Ever since Tegan and I started, I knew I enjoyed it, but now I

know I love it. I missed it the week I spent cuddling Ben and Jerry.

I’m not going to feel sorry for myself anymore. I’m not running from life anymore either.

Raising my hand, I knock on Mom’s office door. There should be nerves, but there aren’t. Or maybe they’re there, but my willpower is stronger than the nerves.

I’m doing this and nothing will stop me.

“Come in, ” I hear Mom call out.

Her eyes flash with shock when she sees it’s me, but quickly, she recovers. “It’s been good to see you out of your room the past couple days. ”

She’s sitting behind her huge cherry wood desk. Patterns and samples are laid out in front of her, everything lined up in neat little rows. Perfectly Mom.

Biting my lip, I pull a chair from the corner and sit across from her. “I was hurting. ”

She sighs. “I know it feels like this is the end of the world, but it’s not. We all get our hearts broken by our first loves. ”

“Did you? ” I never get stories from her. She’s not the type who shares easily. I’m not sure why. It’s another of her secrets.

“I’m sure you didn’t come in here to talk about my teenage love life. ”

No, but maybe I’d like to hear about it anyway. A shaky breath escapes my lungs. I can do this. I need to do this. I want to do this. “I never told you people at school give me a hard time about my weight. Call me names, tease me. That kind of thing. ”

“Why? ” She sets her pen down, giving me her full attention.

“Because of my weight—I said that. ”

“No, why? Why didn’t you tell me? ”

I shrug. “I didn’t want to bother you. I was embarrassed. I was pretty sure you agreed with all the things they say to me. ”

“Now you’re being ridiculous. ” She shakes her head.

“No, I’m being honest. ”

“Why would you think that, Annabel? You’re my daughter. In fact, if you tell me who harassed you, I‘ll take care of it for you. ”

All business. All the time. I can do this. I can do this.

“I don’t want you to take care of it for me. I’m learning to do that for myself. I want…I want you to love me. To support me. I want to be enough for you. ”

Her facial expressions, body language, nothing changes. “What? That’s absurd. You know I love you, Annabel. ”

I sit forward, wanting her to know how serious I am. Needing her to see me and know how much I’ve hurt. “Maybe I should, but I don’t. ”

She rustles papers on her desk. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m not sure what I can do to change it though. Your father and I give you everything you need. I’ve offered to take care of who harassed you in school, though now that you’re losing weight, it probably won’t be an issue. Things will get easier, the more you lose.

You’ll see. I know it’s hard, but that’s just the way the world works. ”

I’m not sure what I can do to change it though. I’ve offered to take care of who harassed you. Now that you’re losing weight. That’s just the way the world work.

I don’t hear anything else she said. Those aren’t answers. “You don’t know what you can do? You can love me! ”

“Lower your voice, Annabel. I’m your mother. Of course I love you. ”

I open my mouth to counter it, but she stops me. “Sit down. I’m going to tell you a story. ”

Call me crazy, but I do it.

“Both my parents came from very poor families. They worked hard to get what they have and they both understood how the world works. You get ahead by

being strong. By being the best you can be. They taught me that too. When I was younger, and something tried to break me, I got tougher. That’s what you need to do.

You work hard. You become the best and that’s how you show everyone in your life who never thought you would amount to anything. ”

Her words open my eyes in a way I didn’t expect. Maybe she does love me. Maybe she doesn’t. I’m not sure I’ll ever know. She is who she is and I’m who I am.

Neither of us will change and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Sometimes, that’s life, I think. We don’t always get the answers we need or want. Sometimes there aren’t any. I don’t like it, and I never will, but I’m not going to let her get me down.

Holding back my tears, I stand up. “You’re right, Mom. You are tough and if being tough means I have to be like you…well, I’m not sure I’ll ever be. We’re

always going to be different. I see that now. ”

With my head held high, I turn and walk out of the office. It’s not what I wanted. What I expected, but I still jumped the hurdle and I did it on my own.

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