Through a Lens Darkly Ranya sat down at the desk and faced a familiar woman. “Well, here I am.” “Here you are,” said the other woman. “Where is here?” “Rock-bottom,” Ranya sighed. “I failed the Bar exam. I broke up with Justin. The wedding’s off and Mom and Dad are out about two-thousand bucks in deposits and I’m out about a thousand. No one understands why we called it off. I was laid off from work, so I have to move back in with my parents until I figure out what to do. I’m in my midtwenties and right back where
I was when I was a teenager.” “Yeah, that’s bad,” the other woman agreed. “How did that happen?” “I don’t know.” “You don’t know? If you don’t know, who does?” Ranya stared angrily at the other woman for a minute. Then she sighed. “You’re right. I ought to know. I got here because I thought it was what I was supposed to do. I was supposed to go to college and get into law school and become a lawyer. I was
Life’s Wit by S.J. Drew
supposed to get married and settle down and have kids.” “Why were you supposed to do all that?” “Because that’s who I am. I’m the overachiever. I was going to have a high-powered career and be the supermom with the family. I’m the responsible one. I don’t fail. I don’t fail at tests and I don’t fail in life,” Ranya answered miserably. “So you never did what you wanted, but only what you were supposed to do, because that’s who continued on page 19
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