My bf’s mom loves status. I’m in nursing school. At dinner, someone asked about my school.
She laughed, ‘Not rocket science.’ Then, she added, ‘Girls aim so low these days.’ Everyone went quiet. I set down my glass and said to her face:
“Maybe not rocket science. But it’s life and death.”
You could hear the hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen.
Even the forks stopped moving. She blinked at me like I’d spoken out of turn in church. Her lips tightened into that polite smile she wears when she’s judging someone.
I felt my boyfriend’s knee press gently against mine under the table. It was his quiet way of saying, “Careful.”
But I wasn’t angry. I was steady.
“I don’t aim low,” I said. “I aim where I’m needed.”
She gave a short laugh. “Oh, honey, I just meant there are more… ambitious paths.”
Her husband cleared his throat but didn’t look at anyone.
My boyfriend stared at his plate. Ambitious. Like her son’s corporate finance job.
Like the country club membership. Like the way she says “our vacation home” every time she can. I smiled.
“Taking care of people when they’re scared and sick feels ambitious to me.”
She waved her hand. “Of course. It’s just not very… competitive.”
That word hit me.
Competitive. I’d spent the last two years studying anatomy until my eyes burned. I’d worked double shifts as a CNA to pay tuition.
I’d held hands with strangers as they cried. Competitive wasn’t what we were trained to be. “Healthcare isn’t about competition,” I said quietly.
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
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