Perfectly Flawed

4. More Than A Hobby

The doorbell rings and I groan and look over the edge. In the window by the door I can see my mom's tall slender frame.

"Fuck." I love my mom, but she's like flies to honey when she wants her way. I literally called her a couple days ago saying I have a busy week, yet she just shows up? You can't be surprised, she's done this kind of thing before. I think to myself. Maybe if I just pretend she's not here, she'll go away?

Suddenly, my phone starts to ring, and I curse myself for leaving it downstairs. "Well there's no hiding now." I huff to myself as I walk downstairs and see her face peek in the window.

"Hey mom." I swing the door open.

"Dakota, love. How are you?" She greets with a wide smile.

"I'm okay, sorry I was, uh...listening to music and I didn't hear the doorbell." I gesture. "But come in!"

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd pop by with these." She lifts the file folder in her hand.

Ah, shit. Okay. One problem at a time. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Fruit?" I snap into housewife mode.

"I think I'm good, but thank you for asking." She looks pleased and I sigh.

"Okay, you can put your shoes on the mat there." I gesture, then walk over to pull out a chair at the table.

"Thanks again." She plunks the folder down, and opens it up to the tabbed sections. "So this is your acceptance letters, as you well know, you have all these schools available to you, but you need to let them know by the end of the month, and for certain dorms and meal plans you need to respond asap, so I really urge you to look and decide."

Maybe I should just tell the truth... "mom, look here's the thing." I start.

She flicks away my words with her hand, not letting them touch her. "I know what you're going to say."

My heart lifts a little. "You do?"

"Yes, my love. You've always been an indecisive gal, so you're having trouble choosing. I understand." Yeah, not even close. "I just ask you'll look at these and come to us with a decision, or at least your top 3 when we see you next."

"Mom..."

She clears her throat and smiles, looking around. "The place looks much nicer than when I last saw it, you don't have any boxes up and look at that furniture."

I smile. "Yeah, thanks mom."

"Oh and that loft! What have you decided to do with that space?" She walks up to the stairs.

I feel a lump in my stomach. "Um, my painting stuff."

"Oh?" She climbs up and I jump up after her. Don't panic. "Wow, some of these are really nice."

I smile, lump unraveling itself a bit. "You really think so? I love it."

"Yeah! Look at that one." She points to the beach one I did based off a picture I took on my grad trip. 

"Thank you. I really have a passion for it, honestly I could paint forever." I can't fight the smile stretching my cheeks.

"Yeah, for sure. It's an ok hobby." 

"Hobby." I repeat, smile fading. "What if I wanted it to be more than a hobby, though?"

She laughs. It's a bright tinkling laugh that we have in common, but today it gets on my nerves and I grit my teeth.

"More than a hobby." Amusement laces her tone.

"What?" I turn and frown at her, tossing the papers in a stack on my desk. "Being an artist is a real career!"