My worn Honda Civic emitted a miserable whine as I parked at Azure Heights Resort. I spotted my mother Patricia Williams and her black Mercedes alongside my older sister Vanessa and her white BMW in the luxury valet section. They stood near the entrance radiating superiority. Vanessa pointed out my old car and joked that she expected it to break down before I reached the mountain. I pulled my canvas bag from the trunk while explaining that heavy city traffic delayed me. Vanessa twisted my words to emphasize I was simply driving away from the warehouse district where I worked. My mother called me Maya and expressed loud surprise that I could even afford fuel for the trip. They informed me they secured premier suites and assumed I would stay in a budget room. I handed my scratched key fob to a sharply dressed valet who masked his reaction. My mother then loudly insisted on separate bills to spare me the stress of splitting their expensive charges.
Azure Heights Resort stretched beautifully across fifteen acres of pristine lakefront property. The architectural vision relied on a perfect blend of native river stone and massive glass windows overlooking the deep blue water. I chose this location for our annual family weekend with extraordinary care because every detail existed exactly as I planned. I felt a profound satisfaction walking through the massive glass entrance doors. The lobby ceiling rose dramatically overhead with reclaimed timber beams crossing the open space. A four sided stone fireplace stood in the center of the expansive room casting warm light across the slate floor. The western wall consisted of uninterrupted glass panels facing the magnificent mountain range. I knew every brass fixture intimately because the building looked exactly the way I imagined it three years earlier. Vanessa turned in a slow circle while her heels clicked loudly. She proudly declared that this resort represented actual life achievement. She intentionally contrasted the luxurious surroundings with my supposed routine of punching a clock at a dusty warehouse.
I allowed my gaze to move across the beautiful lobby while assuring them I was glad they were finding so much success. My mother adjusted her expensive scarf and shifted her expression into a mask of deep parental disappointment. She told me I looked completely exhausted and sighed heavily about my choices. She reminded me of her past warnings about chasing unrealistic ideas instead of building a sensible life. I knew exactly where her lecture was heading before she mentioned his name. She brought up Richard again and reminded me that the wealthy dentist I previously rejected was opening another office location. I calmly reminded her that I never had any desire to build a life with him. Her tone sharpened immediately as she accused me of simply wanting to be difficult. She dramatically gestured toward Vanessa to point out how my sister successfully sold luxury properties. Next she pointed to herself to highlight her profitable consulting business. Finally she looked at me with deep pity and summarized my existence as moving heavy boxes around an industrial building.