My Stepdad's Punishment

I never got why Liam chose my mom.

She’s beautiful, yes. But they’re nothing alike. He’s calm and relaxed. She’s tense and critical.

Nothing I did was ever enough for her. My grades. My room. My looks. After years of that, you start to believe it.

Liam came into my life when I was seven. He shielded me. I think he took her criticism on purpose sometimes. Life got better after he and Mom started dating.

I can never thank him enough. My protector. My Dad.

They married when I was eight. We’ve been a family for over eleven years.

I graduated high school two months ago. Last week, I got into my dream college. It’s eight hours away.

Part of me was scared to move so far. But I was also relieved. Finally, an escape from my mother.

I’ll miss Liam terribly. Way more than I’ll miss her.

I’ll miss Noah, too.

He’s close with his family. He chose a college only an hour from home. He can visit every weekend.

That puts seven hours between us. I won’t be coming back except for holidays. The farther from my mother, the better. Even if it means not seeing Dad.

Noah and I started dating freshman year. First loves. But I don’t see how we survive this.

Distance. School. My mom won’t support me since I chose a faraway college. I’ll need a job.

Last weekend, we talked about our future. It was hard. We agreed: when summer ends, we end.

Until then, we make the most of it.

Tonight, we have plans. Big plans. They excite and scare me.