“Well, not I don’t need you to make the decision for me. I was just wondering what you would do. I will decide I just wanted to talk to you about it,” Skye explained as she got up from the table and dumped the milk in the sink.
“Honey I don’t know. I am sorry I have to get to the office. I am putting the finishing touches on a presentation. This could be really big for me sweetie. Okay?” Devi explained as she ran and grabbed her keys and ran out of the house. Skye looked out the window and rolled her eyes as her mom jumped into her car and sped off down the street. This was a normal morning in the Miller household. Skye couldn’t remember a time when her mom was really there for her and it was only getting worse. Devi was becoming a more and more important person on the island and as she gained more prestige she became more convinced of her own legend. Skye sometimes felt like she didn’t have a mother at all, if it weren’t for the fact that she was very demanding.
* * * * *
“A C- in Calculus?” Her mother asked that evening when they sat down to have dinner. It had been report card day and Skye hadn’t really put forth her best effort.
“I don’t know,” Skye explained, fidgeting in her chair.
“Look, you only have one job. That is to get good grades and get San Clemente U. for college. I cannot believe that you think that this is okay,” she said, “Do you think I had these kinds of grades when I was growing up? Do you think we would be living in this house in this neighborhood if I slacked at school?”
“I don’t know,” Skye said, looking at her feet and waiting for the whole mess to be over. It was always like this when she disappointed her mother in some way. Soccer, which Skye loved above almost all else, could be hellish if she had a bad game. The entire ride home would consist of Devi explaining to Skye how she could have done better and the ways in which she could’ve been more like Devi herself on the soccer field. Skye always knew that her mother just wanted her to be successful but something it was tough to keep that in mind. Grades were arguably worse than soccer. Yet Skye was somehow excited when she brought home bad grades, at least it meant she would have Devi’s undivided attention for a few hours.
Most nights, Devi was a bit of a party animal. She would often go out with friends and drink and Skye was always a little embarrassed when one the women Devi slept with stumbled out of the bedroom in the morning looking a little bit disheveled (but satisfied). Skye was far too shy to even think about having sex and it was a bit unnerving to have her mother constantly throw her virginity in her face. It was the night of the bad report card that Skye made a plan. She knew that she would never be able to top her mother in most things, but if she focused on one thing she would be able to beat her mother at one of her own games and maybe then she would get whatever it was that she wanted out of her mom. Of course, none of these thoughts were that clear, it was just a feeling she had.
Every Wednesday Devi would go to the gym after work for a few hours to stay in shape. Once a month she would take Skye with her as well. They would start jogging on the treadmill and then move to some light weight work. They would wrap up their time in the gym on the elliptical machines and then go outside to the pool. It was an Olympic sized pool with a huge white plastic dome around it so that it could be kept warm and open late. They would do a few laps and then finish up with a 100 meter race. Devi always won this race by a wide margin. They would then get out, dry off and then split up. Devi would give Skye five bucks to get a milkshake next door to the gym and then Devi would take a steam in the sauna. When they were both done Devi would drive Skye back home and that would be the basic extent of their social interaction for the month.
The day after the bad report card Skye started going to the gym every day. It was three weeks until her next trip with Devi so she had plenty of time to practice. She would go after soccer practice and get up early on the weekends and spent two hours in the pool doing laps. She would time herself and race her old times. When she could, she would cajole another swimmer into racing with her.
Finally the day arrived when Devi and Skye were to go together to the gym. Devi got home from work a little late, but Skye was already sitting on the front porch, ready to go. Devi was a bit surprised; usually she had to drag her daughter out of the house talking on the phone anytime she needed her to do anything. But she didn’t spend much time thinking about it. She had a date that night after the gym.
“Hop in, I got my stuff in the car,” Devi said through the rolled down window. Skye got into the passenger seat and buckled up. Devi started talking about her day and about her new assignment and Skye sort of zoned out. She was planning and strategizing.
They got to the gym and did their normal routine. They ran on the treadmill, lifted, and went on the elliptical machines. They went into the locker room and quickly changed into their bathing suits. Even now, with her goal in sight, Skye was shocked by how beautiful she found her mother to be as the older woman walked out of her stall wearing a small bikini that accentuated all of her curves and athletic features. If Devi were paying attention, she would’ve notice what a beautiful sight her daughter was in her equally revealing bikini.