Page 21 of Roommate's Guide to Love

“I’m fine,” I say as I give her hand a squeeze.

Very fine…

“Okay,” she says. “Let’s go. The quicker you tell them, the quicker it’s over.”

I know she’s right, so when we get back to the living room, and a hush falls over the room as I sit down on a couch. I do as Ainsley suggests and rip the Band-Aid.

“Family, I didn’t come home because I missed all of you. I’m home because I quit my job, told a group of awful mothers to go fuck themselves, and don’t know what I’m going to do with my life now. I’ll now be taking questions from the floor.”

I think it says a lot about who I am as a person that not one person in the room gasps. No flabbers are ghasted. Granted, my sisters know the story. But I was hoping maybe a little bit of shock from my mom. A groan from my dad. Simon to be…well….his normal, over-the-top, self.

But nope. Nothing.

“Okay,” Dad begins as he lets my words sink in. “Tell us the story.”

And I do. Probably with a little more of a clear head than last night, and even through a few parts, I can tell that I did leave out some details. But by the end, the words and outcome are the same.

I don’t have a job, and I have no idea what’s next.

“Wow,” Mom says. Finally, someone who’s a little surprised at my antics! “Their name was really P.E.N.I.S.? I feel like that was a short-sighted choice on their parts.”

There’s a moment of silence before an absolute eruption of laughter takes over the Banks living room. Leave it to Demetria Banks for the unintended comedy relief.

“Oh, wow, Mom,” I say, wiping the tears from my eyes because I’m still laughing. “I needed that.”

“And I need to give them a piece of my mind,” she says. “How dare they think that they know better than teachers? Teachers are a blessing on this Earth. Because I tell you what, if I would’ve had to stay home with all five of you for every one of your eighteen years, well…I…”

“We would’ve gone mad,” Dad says, finishing her statement. “Quinn, I know this is sudden, and you probably are trying to get a handle on a lot of things right now. But I need you to know, I’m proud of you. We both are.”

Dad reaches over for my mom’s hand as she nods in approval.

“Really?”

He nods. “You stood up for what’s right. For what you believed in. You five might’ve turned out very different, which we love, but we taught you all to have beliefs and to be true to them. And that’s what you did. And that takes a lot of courage that not many have.”

Now the tears are coming out for a whole different reason. “Thanks, Dad.”

Each one of my siblings comes over to me, giving me some sort of awkward hug.

It’s at that point that I look over to Maeve, who I know is dying to repeat the question she had for me last night.

“I don’t know,” I say, answering before she can say it. “I don’t know what’s next. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I…I don’t know anything.”

“Um, that’s not the right answer,” Simon chirps up.

“Excuse me? I know you think you know everything, but I’m pretty sure you don’t have my right answer.”

“Oh, but little sister, I do,” he says with a smirk. “You’re going to move back here.”

I have to blink a few times to make sure my brother said what I think he just said. “Did you say move back here?”

“Oh yes! Quinn! Please move home!” Mom leaps from her seat next to my dad and scooches her way in between me and Maeve so she can wrap me in a hug that feels more choking—smothering—than comforting. “Come to where you have family. You know me and your dad miss you. Your sisters miss you. You have a niece and nephew I know you miss. Why do this alone in Arizona when you can figure out what’s next here?”

“I—” I start to object before I realize I don’t have a lot to object about. Yes, I have some friends, but none that I feel like I need to stay for. I’m sure word will travel around Phoenix about what I did and said, making it so no school in the area will ever hire me again.

But…moving back to Rolling Hills? Doing the one thing I vowed to never do?

I don’t think I can commit to that in this kind of emotional state.

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