The Promise by Dan Walsh

the main entrance. They walked a little slower, allowing a small gap to form.
    â€œIs it about the idea of her and Allan trying to have kids right away?”
    â€œResistance is futile,” he said. Then seeing her confusion,he added, “An old Star Trek saying. You always seem to know what I’m thinking. Most of the time, I miss what you’re going through completely.”
    â€œYou do, but see, at least now you’re trying. Are you struggling about the money? About all the money you spent sending her to college?”
    He laughed. “You’re a scary woman sometimes. That’s pretty much it.” He looked up at the group now beginning to climb the steps of the Basilica. “We better not lose them.”
    â€œWe won’t. You know he’s going to pause once they’re inside and talk for a few more minutes. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to talk this out a little, so I have you really with me once we go inside.”
    â€œIt’s just, I can’t believe how much money I spent on her education. Tens of thousands of dollars. She hasn’t even started teaching full-time yet. If she has a baby right away, you know what’s gonna happen. She’s gonna want to stay home, just like you did.”
    â€œIs that such a horrible thing?”
    â€œNo, you know I don’t think that. I’m glad you were able to stay home with the kids.”
    â€œThen what’s the problem?”
    â€œThere isn’t a problem. You’re right. I should be fine with it.”
    â€œBut you aren’t.”
    â€œIt’s just . . . I wish she had figured out that all she wanted to be was a stay-at-home mom before I spent all that money.”
    Marilyn looked up and saw that the tour group had all moved inside the church. The pause also helped her to gain control of her anger. She couldn’t believe Jim had just said that. Had he really forgotten the fiery arguments they’d all gotten into about this very thing after Michele graduated from high school? She looked into his eyes. It was clear that he had. And she reminded herself, he really felt bad that he was struggling with this in the first place. Lord , she prayed, help me to help him .
    â€œMaybe we should finish this at the top of the steps,” Jim said. “So we can at least keep our eyes on the group.”
    â€œGood idea.” As they walked, Marilyn considered how to put this. “Jim, you do remember, don’t you, that Michele didn’t want to go to college at all, right? You remember all those fights the two of you got in about this, toward the end of her senior year in high school and just after she graduated?”
    â€œI guess I don’t. I believe you, but I don’t remember.”
    â€œI remember, because I was the referee. You were insisting she had to go to college, and she kept insisting that all she wanted to do was be a mom, like me. She wanted to stay at home and, when the time came, homeschool her kids. You were telling her that she needed to think of her future, that women today couldn’t depend on finding husbands that would provide for them the way you did for us. Those days were dead and gone. Do you remember any of this?”
    â€œIt’s starting to ring some distant bells.” A disgusted look came over his face.
    If Marilyn guessed right, it was self-loathing. “I’m the one who suggested Michele become a schoolteacher,” she said, “as a compromise. Because it would help her when the time came to homeschool her kids and, at the same time, satisfy your requirement for her to get a practical education. In case that man in her life she was hoping and praying for never came.”
    Jim shook his head. “I remember now. I was such a jerk. And look, the man she was hoping and praying for did come.” His eyes got watery. He blinked the tears away. Looking in her eyes, he said, “You did a great job back then