Daddy Issues

4 - Rules

The rest of dinner is decent enough. But I still eat quickly, so I can leave them behind and go over to Mel's. Haven't seen her in ages. And though the atmosphere is now cordial, it certainly isn't as easy as I know it will be at Mel's.

'This was very nice, Dan', I say, once I've finished my plate. 'Thank you. Now, you two enjoy your evening, I'm going over to Mel's.'

'I brought dessert', he protests as I'm pushing back my chair. 'Don't you want any?'

'No, thank you.'

This dinner has lasted long enough. Nobody screamed, nobody cried, no bottles were broken, I'll take it as a win. And I won't risk any of that happening after all.

'Emma, wait a second', my mom interjects when I get up and prepare to leave. 'Before you go, we need to go over some rules.'

'Rules?' I ask suspiciously. 'What do you mean, rules?'

'Sit back down please. I'm leaving around noon tomorrow and God knows you like to sleep in, so we have to go over this now.'

Reluctantly, I sink back into the chair and once again, I feel embarrassed by the presence of Dan. Why does he have to be here to witness her laying down rules like I'm some sort of teenager?

'What rules?' I ask again.

'Well, you're staying here at my house and just because I'm going away does not mean that you get to do whatever you want around here. You're sharing the space with Dan and I don't want him to have to clean up any of your messes.'

'What messes?' I ask, affronted. What does she think I intend to do here? She raises her finger in a gesture that tells me to keep quiet. She's been giving me this exact gesture since I was a kid and I've always hated it.

'For your sake, I don't think we have to get into that', she says. Then, before I can argue, she starts her rules.

'So, rule number 1. No alcohol.'

'No alcohol?' I repeat, disbelievingly. 'Like, at all? Mom, this is ridiculous, I'm 23 years old, I can't have a glass of wine for dinner?'

'Rule number 2', she continues, raising that annoying finger again. 'No sleepovers.'

'No sleepovers?' I ask confused. 'What am I, 5 years old now?'

'No guys, Emma', she says sternly. 'I don't want Dan to run into some random dude in his underwear in the kitchen when he's getting ready for work.'

I feel my face turning red again and I can't bear to look sideways at Dan. Now she's making it look like I take another guy home every night. Sure, I hook up here and there, but it's not like there's always been a string of guys running through this house.

'Sure', I mumble.

'And the last rule', she says, counting the rules off on her hand. 'You're home before 10. Every night.'

'What?' I ask indignantly.

'You heard me.'

'Home by 10', I repeat, my voice full of scorn. 'Mom, that's ridiculous. I'm 23 years old and I can't go see a movie with some friends?'

'We wouldn't need this rule if you were the kind of person that goes to the movies. You're the kind of person that ends up at the police station in the middle of the night and I'm not having Dan go through that.'

'Oh my God, that was one time!' I exclaim, slamming my hands down on the table while I push the chair back to get up.

'Don't raise your voice at me', she says threateningly.