Life on My Terms

Sheryl fumbles with her napkin as she watches her parents. Their appetizers arrive and she salivates over the beautiful mango and burrata salad placed in front of her. She takes a bite, enjoys the juicy sweetness of the mango as she bides her time and tries to instill courage.

“I’m so glad we could get together today,” she says.

Her father nods. “Me, too, pumpkin. We’re so proud of you.”

“And so excited that you’ll be going to law school in the fall,” her mother adds.

Sheryl’s smile freezes. “That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Her mother wipes her lips on her napkin. “Really? What’s left to talk about?”

Sheryl reaches for her water glass and takes several large gulps. “I’m going to take a year off.” The words spill quickly from her lips.

Her father chokes on his sip of wine. “What?”

“You can’t,” her mother says. “It’s not in your six-year plan.”

Your six-year plan, Sheryl thinks. “I’ve already deferred.”

She can hear the tension bristle between them. Anger thins her father’s lips. Her mother’s mouth drops open. At least by being in a restaurant they can’t start yelling at her. She thinks. She hopes. A definite upside.

“It’s that damn boy, isn’t it?” her mother asks.

“Not directly.”

“What in the hell does that mean?” her father asks, his fist clenching and unclenching on the table.

“It means that the demo we recorded got a lot of attention. We have an agent and a producer, and it looks like an album will be coming out next year. Isn’t it exciting?” she asks, hoping that they could share in her joy.

“Music.” Her father shakes his head.

Her mother stares at her as if trying to understand. “When this all falls apart, you’ll go to law school like we planned?”

Thanks for your support. “Yes.”

“A year?” her mother asks for clarification.

“Yes.”

Her parents share a glance, a shrug. She takes a bite of the burrata, cool and creamy. In a year, she’ll be on the road, singing, playing music, living her dreams. She hopes because she’s sure that practicing law would be like death, and she’s definitely not ready for that.

end

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I have never had mango and burrata salad but it sounds great, doesn’t it? Here are some recipes:

Mango, Tomato, and Burrata Salad

NUTTY MANGO BURRATA SALAD WITH MINT PESTO

I think I may be the only freaking person in the world who doesn’t like arugula. Know anyone else? We could be besties. lol

BURRATA SALAD WITH FRESH MANGO, CANTALOUPE & HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

This one uses fresh mozzarella instead of burrata, in case you don’t have easy access to burrata:

Mango-Radicchio Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette