2000
“Where do you want this box to go?”
Colby Callahan barely heard her brother’s question. She was lost in her own thoughts, staring at the childhood home that she swore she would never go back to.
“Hey,” Greg repeated, “Are you there? Where do you want this box?”
“My bedroom I guess” said Colby, snapping back into reality.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of space for it,” Greg smirked, “Mom and Dad never changed your room into a home gym like they wanted to. They knew you’d be moving back in soon.”
Colby gave her brother a nasty look. “Shut up” she told him.
She knew he was right, though. They kept her room exactly as it was two years ago when she went to college because they never believed she would finish. And they were right, she didn’t. Colby hated giving her parents the gratification of being right about her, but it wasn’t the first time.
Her whole life, Colby handed her parents one disappointment after another. She got kicked out of her private elementary school when she punched a boy on the kickball field for calling her “ugly”. She spent most of her formative years rebelling against her parents, her school, and basically any other force that was trying to make her “behave” like a well-brought up young lady. Then, at 22 years old, after waiting tables for 4 years and living with her parents, she decided to do something with her life. Colby applied to the University of Miami to pursue an engineering degree. To her and everyone else’s surprise, she was accepted.
But now, two short years later, she sits staring at her parent’s home back in Clearwater. How could this happen again? Why couldn’t she just pull herself together and make something of her life? Where does she go from here? These questions assaulted Colby’s thoughts the entire time we was carrying boxes filled with her mediocre possessions back into the home that she was so sure was not hers anymore.
“You should see if Texas Roadhouse will hire you back”, Colby’s mom, Ruth, said in a disappointed tone. “You are going to have to find some way to pay us rent.”
Ruth was always hyper-critical of Colby. A traditional woman, Ruth values normalcy; a nice house with a white picket fence and matching shutters, a husband who works full time as a kitchen appliance salesman, and two smart, well behaved children. She always resented the fact that she only got one of the two.
“Give her some time to settle in, Ruth” Benjamin, Colby’s father, chimed in, “We haven’t even gotten all the boxes inside yet and you’re rushing her off to her first shift.”
“The girl needs a kick in the ass, Ben. I won’t have her living in my house rent-free again. She is expected to contribute.” Ruth was never shy about saying hurtful things in front of her daughter.
2002
“Where do you want this box to go?”
Colby Callahan barely heard her brother’s question. She was lost in her own thoughts, staring at the childhood home that she swore she would never go back to.
“Hey,” Greg repeated, “Are you there? Where do you want this box?”
“My bedroom I guess” said Colby, snapping back into reality.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of space for it,” Greg smirked, “Mom and Dad never changed your room into a home gym like they wanted to. They knew you’d be moving back in soon.”
Colby gave her brother a nasty look. “Shut up” she told him.
She knew he was right, though. They kept her room exactly as it was two years ago when she went to college because they never believed she would finish. And they were right, she didn’t. Colby hated giving her parents the gratification of being right about her, but it wasn’t the first time.
Her whole life, Colby handed her parents one disappointment after another. She got kicked out of her private elementary school when she punched a boy on the kickball field for calling her “ugly”. She spent most of her formative years rebelling against her parents, her school, and basically any other force that was trying to make her “behave” like a well-brought up young lady. Then, at 22 years old, after waiting tables for 4 years and living with her parents, she decided to do something with her life. Colby applied to the University of Miami to pursue an engineering degree. To her and everyone else’s surprise, she was accepted.
But now, two short years later, she sits staring at her parent’s home back in Clearwater. How could this happen again? Why couldn’t she just pull herself together and make something of her life? Where does she go from here? These questions assaulted Colby’s thoughts the entire time we was carrying boxes filled with her mediocre possessions back into the home that she was so sure was not hers anymore.
“You should see if Texas Roadhouse will hire you back”, Colby’s mom, Ruth, said in a disappointed tone. “You are going to have to find some way to pay us rent.”
Ruth was always hyper-critical of Colby. A traditional woman, Ruth values normalcy; a nice house with a white picket fence and matching shutters, a husband who works full time as a kitchen appliance salesman, and two smart, well behaved children. She always resented the fact that she only got one of the two.
“Give her some time to settle in, Ruth” Benjamin, Colby’s father, chimed in, “We haven’t even gotten all the boxes inside yet and you’re rushing her off to her first shift.”
“The girl needs a kick in the ass, Ben. I won’t have her living in my house rent-free again. She is expected to contribute.” Ruth was never shy about saying hurtful things in front of her daughter.
2003
“Where do you want this box to go?”
Colby Callahan barely heard her brother’s question. She was lost in her own thoughts, staring at the childhood home that she swore she would never go back to.
“Hey,” Greg repeated, “Are you there? Where do you want this box?”
“My bedroom I guess” said Colby, snapping back into reality.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of space for it,” Greg smirked, “Mom and Dad never changed your room into a home gym like they wanted to. They knew you’d be moving back in soon.”
Colby gave her brother a nasty look. “Shut up” she told him.
She knew he was right, though. They kept her room exactly as it was two years ago when she went to college because they never believed she would finish. And they were right, she didn’t. Colby hated giving her parents the gratification of being right about her, but it wasn’t the first time.
Her whole life, Colby handed her parents one disappointment after another. She got kicked out of her private elementary school when she punched a boy on the kickball field for calling her “ugly”. She spent most of her formative years rebelling against her parents, her school, and basically any other force that was trying to make her “behave” like a well-brought up young lady. Then, at 22 years old, after waiting tables for 4 years and living with her parents, she decided to do something with her life. Colby applied to the University of Miami to pursue an engineering degree. To her and everyone else’s surprise, she was accepted.
But now, two short years later, she sits staring at her parent’s home back in Clearwater. How could this happen again? Why couldn’t she just pull herself together and make something of her life? Where does she go from here? These questions assaulted Colby’s thoughts the entire time we was carrying boxes filled with her mediocre possessions back into the home that she was so sure was not hers anymore.
“You should see if Texas Roadhouse will hire you back”, Colby’s mom, Ruth, said in a disappointed tone. “You are going to have to find some way to pay us rent.”
Ruth was always hyper-critical of Colby. A traditional woman, Ruth values normalcy; a nice house with a white picket fence and matching shutters, a husband who works full time as a kitchen appliance salesman, and two smart, well behaved children. She always resented the fact that she only got one of the two.
“Give her some time to settle in, Ruth” Benjamin, Colby’s father, chimed in, “We haven’t even gotten all the boxes inside yet and you’re rushing her off to her first shift.”
“The girl needs a kick in the ass, Ben. I won’t have her living in my house rent-free again. She is expected to contribute.” Ruth was never shy about saying hurtful things in front of her daughter.
2004
“Where do you want this box to go?”
Colby Callahan barely heard her brother’s question. She was lost in her own thoughts, staring at the childhood home that she swore she would never go back to.
“Hey,” Greg repeated, “Are you there? Where do you want this box?”
“My bedroom I guess” said Colby, snapping back into reality.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of space for it,” Greg smirked, “Mom and Dad never changed your room into a home gym like they wanted to. They knew you’d be moving back in soon.”
Colby gave her brother a nasty look. “Shut up” she told him.
She knew he was right, though. They kept her room exactly as it was two years ago when she went to college because they never believed she would finish. And they were right, she didn’t. Colby hated giving her parents the gratification of being right about her, but it wasn’t the first time.
Her whole life, Colby handed her parents one disappointment after another. She got kicked out of her private elementary school when she punched a boy on the kickball field for calling her “ugly”. She spent most of her formative years rebelling against her parents, her school, and basically any other force that was trying to make her “behave” like a well-brought up young lady. Then, at 22 years old, after waiting tables for 4 years and living with her parents, she decided to do something with her life. Colby applied to the University of Miami to pursue an engineering degree. To her and everyone else’s surprise, she was accepted.
But now, two short years later, she sits staring at her parent’s home back in Clearwater. How could this happen again? Why couldn’t she just pull herself together and make something of her life? Where does she go from here? These questions assaulted Colby’s thoughts the entire time we was carrying boxes filled with her mediocre possessions back into the home that she was so sure was not hers anymore.
“You should see if Texas Roadhouse will hire you back”, Colby’s mom, Ruth, said in a disappointed tone. “You are going to have to find some way to pay us rent.”
Ruth was always hyper-critical of Colby. A traditional woman, Ruth values normalcy; a nice house with a white picket fence and matching shutters, a husband who works full time as a kitchen appliance salesman, and two smart, well behaved children. She always resented the fact that she only got one of the two.
“Give her some time to settle in, Ruth” Benjamin, Colby’s father, chimed in, “We haven’t even gotten all the boxes inside yet and you’re rushing her off to her first shift.”
“The girl needs a kick in the ass, Ben. I won’t have her living in my house rent-free again. She is expected to contribute.” Ruth was never shy about saying hurtful things in front of her daughter.