Lauren Hayes

Devil in the Dark

I moved out of my mom’s house and into my new apartment today. My mother asked me why I’d chosen to go back to having roommates at 34 years old. She could barely contain the judgment in her voice. She obviously thinks I’m a loser for sharing a living room and kitchenette with two other women. I told her again about all the benefits of my new living arrangement. This will allow me to save money and finally pay off that student loan debt that’s still hanging around my neck like an albatross. It means I won’t have to worry about upkeep in the yard like I did after Derek and I divorced. And Samara and Jane are really cool so it’s like having a slumber party with your friends every night. But still, all my mom sees is that her daughter is frozen in some perpetual adolescence. She thinks I won’t ever find another husband this way. “Time is ticking,” as she always says.