“You need to grow up, Madison.”

Her dad’s words just hung there in the dining room, heavy as the crystal chandeliers above the table. At first, Maddie didn’t even realize he was talking to her. She was poking at her salad, mentally debating what color skirt she should buy next

“We’re going to have to tighten our belts. And soon.”

Maddie flinched, then flashed her signature oblivious little smile she always used when things felt uncomfortable

“Okaaay…?”

Her dad frowned at that and dragged a hand through his graying hair

“I’m not joking, Madison. You’re almost eighteen and you act like you’re five.”

The sharpness in his voice caught her off guard

“B-But I’m not doing anything wrong…”

“That’s the problem!” he snapped, louder now. “You’re not doing anything at all! Do you have any plan if I lose everything? If I go bankrupt? If I die?”

She stood up so fast her chair crashed backward

“I-I’m sorry, I–”

Before she could finish another half-baked excuse for being lazy and childish, the pressure crushed her. She bolted out of the dining room

The bedroom door slammed behind her. She slid down against it, pulled her knees to her chest, and grabbed tight onto her bright orange twintails

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale

Useless. Her breathing wouldn’t steady. Her heart was racing out of control, her whole body trembling like she’d stuck a fork in a socket

“No… no, I can’t, I can’t…”

She muttered it desperately, gripping her hair even harder

“I can’t do anything. I don’t even know how taxes work! I don’t have any talents. Who would even hire me? And what would I even… do…?”

The second wave hit harder. The thought of getting a job scared her more than ruining her manicure

“Dad… he’s just exaggerating, right? He’s just trying to scare me…? Everything’s fine. It’s fine. He’s never going to die. He wouldn’t… right…?”

That thought finally breaks her, and she crumples into quiet sobs.

“Why is everything so hard? Why does everyone else know what they’re doing? I can’t do this. I can’t be an adult... I can’t...”