My mom handed me my peanut butter sandwich. "Oh don't bother with her. Stacie is too much like her father. Her idea of socializing is a group project for school."
I tore into my sandwich and rolled my eyes. "That is incorrect. I quite like going to the shooting range with dad and discussing guns with the guys. Does that count?"
"Oh honey, girls really shouldn't play with guns. You will never get a husband that way." said my mom, reminding me yet again why we were never close.
"I swear dad is more of a feminist than you. What if I don't want a husband? What if I came out that I was gay?"
My mom rolled her eyes "Well of course I would still love you. You finding romantic interest in anything will be a miracle. As long as I get a grandbaby I don't care. It can even be Chinese." My mom just said that while continuing to bustle around and I finished my sandwich.
I swear there is no reasoning with her. You would think I was an old maid or something with how she treated me. I'm starting to think it is women of her generation. WW2 housewife types just don't see the changes happening. It's the 70s for crying out loud. Women don't need men to live a life anymore. My dad saw it more I think but he was also a professor of English Literature. He all the time encourages me to go to college because all the women are doing it now. How my parents love each other is beyond me, they are polar opposites.
Honestly, my father and mom did everything they could to lay my options out on the table for me but nothing was ever what I wanted.
"What do you want to do Stacie?" asked Lee.
I looked at him closely, "What I want is irrelevant. I can't do it anyway."
"Oh sure you can sweety. You can do anything you set your mind to." said my mom.
"You are only saying that because you don't actually know what I want."
"Well how can I know what you want if you don't tell me?" My mom sat at the table and grabbed my hand in attempt to make me feel better I guess.
"I want to join the military..."
"I was not expecting that." said Lee and I glared at him.
"Oh honey! Women join the military all the time! There is plenty of openings for nurses! I'll have you know I was a military nurse in the war and I was quite good at it!" My mom actually looked excited talking about the war.
"It is actually how I met your father." said my mom with a fluttery sigh.
"I don't want to be a nurse though! I want to fight!" I honestly was tired of talking with my mom at that point. I walked out of the kitchen and to my room.
Shortly after that Lee walked in.
"You better leave that door open boy!" shouted my father.
"Yes sir!" responded Lee and propped the door open with a chair and plopped on my bed.
"You know I can make your dream of being in active duty military a reality."