“You're here every day, Ma,” he reasoned. “We have plenty of space here. It’d be
easier for me if you were here keeping tabs on these two.” He motioned to the
siblings.
William stared at his plate, pretending not to listen. Willow stared at their
grandmother, waiting to see if she’d give in. Casey glanced down, unsure what to
do.
“I’ll think about it. But tonight is not the night to make any decisions. It’s
William’s 18th birthday. We need to focus on him.”
“About time!” William said, rolling his eyes.
Willow grabbed a second slice and walked out of the dining area.
“Where are you going?” their father asked.
“Well, that didn’t last long,” Casey whispered to William, who tried not to laugh.
Patty Further turned to her grandson’s guest. “So, Casey, are you graduating this
year?”
“Yes, ma'am,” Casey replied.
William decided to grab a fourth slice while they spoke. His grandmother didn’t ask
about college much, but the topic had come up before.
“Do you already have plans for after?”
“As of right now, I'm going to go to the community college in town,” she replied.
“My father wants me closer to home and said I should take the basic classes that
will transfer to a four-year university so that my degree will be cheaper.”
“Sounds like a smart thing to do,” Patty agreed. She turned her attention to
William. “Have you thought any more about what you are going to do?”
“Not since last week, Grandma,” William said.
He hadn’t decided. It felt ridiculous to expect an eighteen-year-old to choose the