She took the tape measure from my shaking hand. Unspooled it. Looked me dead in the eye. “Your father,” she said, “is a good man. Kind. Generous. He brings me tea in bed. But he is a pencil . A number two pencil with a broken tip.”
Then she looked up.
On Sunday night, she handed me a new sticky note. mama fiona – your stepmom is a size queen
It said: “You’re a grower, not a shower. But you’re also a goddamn tripod. Go forth and be humble.”
“Well, shit, kid. You’re not in the Goldilocks Zone.” She took the tape measure from my shaking hand
I moved out the next morning. Not because I was scared.
You know how people say, "Be careful what you wish for"? “Your father,” she said, “is a good man
Below that, a sticky note in her handwriting: “Don't settle for less than 7.5x6. Pack a lunch. You'll be there a while.”