62
The phone call didn’t take long. If I’d talked to my dad, I would have gotten a thousand questions about why I was changing my plans, and a hurt tone of voice about not coming home to see the family tonight.
Luckily I got my mom, who’s a lot more relaxed about these sorts of things.
“Some people on the hall are having an after-finals party, and I’d really like to stick around for it,” I said as I paced nervously down the hall, away from my room. “I didn’t find out about it until this afternoon, which is why – ”
“That’s fine, honey. Have fun – just be careful, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.”
“Don’t drink anything unless it’s out of a bottle or a can, or you see where it comes from. I don’t want anyone roofie-ing you.”
“Nobody’s going to roofie me, Mom.”
“And don’t give your drink to anybody when you go to the bathroom. Just take it with you.”
“I’m not even going to be drinking, Mom! Not alcohol, anyway – ”
“Then why are you even going to the party?”
My mom is pretty open-minded, to say the least.
Maybe too open-minded, seeing as what happened seven years ago.
“I don’t know, because it’s fun, maybe?!”
“Just be careful and don’t drink too much.”
“I told you, I’m not going to drink – ”
“And don’t drink and drive.”
“I’m in the dorm, Mom! I’m not driving anywhere!”
“And use a condom.”
“I’m with Kevin, Mom!” I hissed, and glanced down the hall at my room.
The door was still shut.
Why did I do that?
There was no reason to do that…
“Okay, no judgment – just be safe.”
“Goodbye, Mom!”
And then I hung up in exasperation.
Looking back, I know she was just looking out for me. And she actually gave me great advice.
But having your mom tell you if you cheat on your boyfriend, to use a condom?
Jesus.
Considering what she had done when I was twelve, the advice was excruciating to hear.
What was even more excruciating was my fear that ‘like mother, like daughter’ wasn’t just a saying.