Sarah's Legacy by Valerie Sherrard Page B

He looked enormously pleased with himself.
    Then I remembered that I was cross at Mom. It wouldn’t do for her to hear me laugh. By the time I’dshowered and dressed I was in just the right frame of mind to show her she wasn’t yet forgiven for calling up that Stan creep. I decided to be coldly polite toward her but when I went to the kitchen she wasn’t there.
    I’d kind of been counting on pancakes for breakfast since Mom always made them for me any time she was home on a weekend morning. Her pancakes are the best, big and light and fluffy. I waited for a few minutes, hoping she’d come along. Then, in case she didn’t know I was up, I made some noise opening and closing cupboards and getting a glass of milk out of the fridge.
    The cats and dogs were congregating around me by then, mewing and whimpering and just generally going on as if they hadn’t eaten for weeks. I figured I might as well feed them. There was no sense in them being hungry too, just because Mom was apparently planning to starve me this morning.
    They followed me into the pantry, and the dumb cats shoved their heads in the way as I filled the bowls. You’d think they’d know enough to stand back for two seconds until the food was in their dishes, but that would have been asking too much from this crew. I finally got the dishes all filled and went back to the kitchen. Still no sign of Mom.
    I’d given up waiting and was halfway through a bowl of Cheerios when Mom showed up.
    â€œI was really in the mood for pancakes this morning,” I said accusingly. I figured she might as well know that she’d just given me yet another reason to be displeased with her.
    Instead of answering right away, she went to the counter and got the coffee maker set up. It wasn’t until she’d poured a cup and sat down at the table that she spoke.
    â€œFirst of all, Sarah, I’m not your servant. Second, the way you spoke to me last night was inexcusable. And third, you might as well know right now that I am
not
going to put up with this attitude.”
    Well, that wasn’t quite what I’d been expecting! Before I could form an answer, she went on.
    â€œIf I should decide to start seeing Stan, or anyone else, for that matter, I expect you to show some respect. You will
not
make snide remarks to me. You will
not
be rude, make faces, roll your eyes, or slam doors. Is that perfectly clear?”
    â€œYes.” A lump had formed in my throat and I swallowed hard to get rid of it. Mom never talks to me that way. It made me feel horrible but I didn’t want her to see that I cared. Obviously, this stupid Stan creep was more important than me.
    â€œFrom the moment you were born,” she went on, her voice softening, “I devoted my entire life to you. I sacrificed and struggled and did the best I could. I know youhaven’t had everything you might have liked, but that was never because I didn’t try. And now, when things are easier for both of us, I finally have a chance to have a life for
myself
, too. I don’t think that’s asking too much. I’ve been alone for more than a dozen years and it hasn’t been easy but I did it because you came first. And you still do. But there are times that life is pretty lonely for me.”
    Her voice trailed off in a kind of sad whisper at the end, and the sound of it cut right into me. I’d never thought of Mom as being lonely. It was a strange thing to take in. She’d never complained and I’d always thought she was perfectly content with things just the way they were. I felt selfish and mean for the way I’d acted.
    â€œStan seems like a nice fellow,” she added slowly, as if she was being very careful about what she said. “He’s kind and thoughtful, that’s plain to see. Now, I don’t know if he and I have much in common, or whether or not we’ll ever even actually date. I admit I didn’t much