08/30/2024
After years of taking care of everyone else, I looked in the mirror for the first time and asked,
"What do I want?"
My dream of studying art, something I had buried deep within myself long ago, suddenly reappeared.
That evening, Tom sat in his favorite chair with a newspaper.
"Tom," I began. "I’ve decided I want to study art in Europe."
He didn’t even look up from his paper. "You what?"
"I want to study art in Europe," I repeated, my heart pounding in my chest.
Tom finally looked up.
"You can’t be serious, Margaret. You can’t be a good mother and chase after nonsense at the same time."
I glanced over at Ben and Elizabeth, who were lingering in the doorway.
I looked at them, searching their faces for some sign of understanding, but all I saw was disappointment.
Silence. The room felt suffocating.
"So that’s it? You’re all against me?"
Tom’s gaze didn’t waver. "Think about what you’re doing, Margaret. You can’t have it both ways."
He had given me an ultimatum—our family or my dream. And now I was faced with a difficult choice, the consequences of which I did not yet understand.👇