calls occasionally, it has never prevented us from chatting briefly in between classes.While having dinner with Alex one night, I distinctly recall being obsessed with this matter. I began to worry since I was so perplexed. "Is it your belief that they are not pleased that we were unable to attend Thanksgiving last year?" Asking if it was all in my head, I hoped it was."Perhaps, but it defies logic," Alex said as he lifted his eyes from his computer. He tried to soothe me by saying, "We've skipped dinners before, and your mom always says the family understands." Unfortunately, the comfort was ineffective, and my anxiety just grew.After that, I went a few months without speaking to my family, which was awkward. There have been zero communications. I felt like I was being cast out of a film in which I had always been an integral part.I told my mom about it, and she confirmed that everything was OK. Everyone is aware of your husband's and your hectic schedule, and such occasions aren't important, she said.This sense of being picked out became an annoying murmur that I had to deal with every day. Despite my repeated requests, my parents still refused to address my questions. I had no idea that I would eventually discover the answers.I was mentally checking things off my grocery list as I pushed my cart through the supermarket when I suddenly knocked into someone coming around the corner.
It was my Aunt Linda, who surprised me by carrying a plethora of goods. "Hello! Emily!" She roared with delight, her expression changing from surprised to really happy."My Aunt Linda!" My heart was bursting with delight when I spoke it. You've been much missed by me! Tell me about yourself. We embraced, and Aunt Linda's countenance changed, and her voice quivered a little. "I'm OK, my love. My family had hosted a little party exclusively for me, so I was only attending. That you and Alex were unable to attend is unfortunate.My grin wavered. "A gathering? "We were completely unaware of it." "That is peculiar. However, Emily, there is an additional matter. I have a really crucial question for you. Her voice betrayed her deep anxiety. Aunt Linda, of course. Say, what's that? Something seemed off, so I braced myself."Is what I heard about you true?" she said after a long inhalation of air. It broke my heart. "I mean, your mom said something that sounds really strange coming from you, and I just wanted to check if it's true." What did she say? I wanted to know. She said that you've taken up the profession of a con artist and that's how you support yourself. Also, Alex is helpful since, well, he's a computer genius. "Emily, I didn't believe it, but..."This floored me. Uncle Sam is wrong, Aunt Linda. Nothing at all. Wow, I'm shocked! Tears began to flow freely down my cheeks, despite my best efforts to suppress them. My heart began to race. I have to deal with this directly. As soon as my parents' faces came up on FaceTime, I wasted no time in calling them. "Why are you misleading Mom and Dad by saying we're con artists? I learned everything from my Aunt Linda.It was impossible to decipher their emotions. With an unfiltered gaze into the camera, Dad spoke the words, "Because you told us so." "I absolutely did not say that!" I retaliated, my anger reaching a fever pitch. "Why on earth would you go ahead and say that?"Mom refused to engage and walked away when Dad's tone became nasty. He abruptly said, "You must have amnesia then," before attempting to change the topic. I still don't see why my parents would fabricate such a story about my husband and myself, and the discussion concluded without resolving the matter.I persisted in trying to get more details from them, but all they would do was repeat what I had already stated. "No one thinks any less of you because of it," they said, attempting to mini