Gonzales

19

It was late afternoon, and the grand family home was calm, save for the faint hum of the household's daily operations. Alexandro at work. Evelyn, his loving and patient wife, had just finished organizing Aurelio's toys.  But as the clock struck 4 PM, things were about to take a turn.

Luca had just come home from school and had already been in a sour mood. He stormed through the front door, past his mother, ignoring her greeting.

"Luca," Evelyn called softly but firmly, "How was school today? Did you finish your homework?"

Luca, already agitated from the events of his day, shot her a glare, rolling his eyes in frustration. "Stop nagging me, Mom. I'm fine. Just leave me alone."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, her tone gentle but stern. "I'm not nagging you. I'm concerned. You've been putting things off, and you're not focusing on your studies like you should. I've asked you several times to finish your homework before you do anything else."

Luca scoffed, throwing his backpack onto the couch and making his way to the kitchen. "You never understand. I'm busy. I've got stuff to do, alright? Homework can wait."

The tension between them was palpable. Evelyn, always the nurturing mother, didn't let his dismissive attitude slide. She followed him into the kitchen, keeping a calm but firm voice.

"Luca," she began, "I'm trying to help you here. I know it's hard to juggle everything at your age, but we've talked about this. You can't keep pushing things off."

Luca slammed his hand on the counter, visibly annoyed. "I said I'll do it later! Why can't you just leave me alone for once? I don't need you to tell me what to do all the time!"

Evelyn's eyes softened for a moment, but her voice remained firm, "I'm your mother, Luca. I'm not telling you what to do for the fun of it. I'm telling you because I care about your future, and right now, you're making choices that could hurt that."

Luca let out an exasperated sigh, throwing his hands up in the air. "You don't get it! You just want everything perfect, all the time! Why can't you just chill out?"

Evelyn's expression tightened slightly, her patience starting to wear thin. "I'm not asking for perfection, Luca. But I am asking for respect. I'm trying to guide you because I've been where you are, and I want better for you. I know you're capable of more, but you need to start showing up for yourself, and for this family."

At this, Luca's anger boiled over. He snapped, his voice rising with frustration. "Oh, so now you're acting like I'm some sort of failure? You're always on my back about grades and homework, but you don't see me doing anything right. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you!"

Evelyn stood there, her face a mask of disappointment. She had seen Luca's anger before, but it always hurt her, especially when it was directed at her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "That's not what I'm saying, Luca. I love you, but I need you to understand that when you talk to me like this, it's hurtful. I only want what's best for you. Please, let's try to talk this out."

Luca stood still for a moment, chest heaving with his own frustration. But instead of responding, he just muttered, "I don't want to talk about this anymore." He turned away and stormed toward the stairs.

Luca stood in his room, scrolling aimlessly through his phone, trying to shake off the argument he'd had with his mom earlier. His frustration still simmered, but the guilt gnawed at him. He couldn't help but feel bad about how things went down with Evelyn, even if he hated to admit it.

He grabbed his phone and texted his dad, hoping he could fix things in a way he knew he couldn't do on his own.

"Dad, I messed up. Mom's really mad at me. She's not gonna forgive me, I can tell. Please tell me what to do."