This chapter starts out with a concerned and caring mother and daughter 'Talk'. I'm a guy and don't have any daughters so I hope that the 'talk' comes across as believable and realistic.
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A couple of days later, Rita was lounging on her bed in the middle of the afternoon when her mom appeared at her door.
"Hey there... Got a minute?" as she joined Rita on her bed.
"Sure," Rita not sure what was up. Perhaps just to talk about school registration the dorm and related stuff.
"So, how did Chris and Bill like seeing your school?"
"I think they really liked it. Chris said how much it reminded her of where she was going. Bill hadn't visited his yet. I think that's next week. Its way down at the bottom of the state, so I don't think Chris and I will be going. That's a long way to go with the three of us packed into the back seat. Although, I've heard it's a beautiful campus."
"Doesn't sound like he'll get home very often," her mom added.
"No. Probably just Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. We've already promised to write back and forth describing our school lives. Even to the point of meeting people and any dates."
"So, he's OK with hearing about your dates?"
"Yeah, we had kind of a clearing of the air the other night, and everybody's good. In fact, it was him that brought up the idea of writing. I'd kind of thought about it, but wasn't sure how well it would go over. But we're all good."
Her mom was kind of quiet for a few moments, as if in thought of what to say next, before, "Oh Rita, I am so going to miss you. This is going to be such a wonderful experience for you, as I'm sure you know. I can't even imagine what those first few days, and nights, will be like for you, or me," her mom's voice cracking as they embraced. She had never seen her mom as emotional as she swallowed hard. It suddenly dawned on her on how hard this was going to be for her mom. Setting her up in her dorm room and then driving home without her, to see her bedroom empty along with her place at the dinner table. Rita had been so into the summer: anticipating school, our activities, and everything it didn't dawn on her of the anxiety that her mom was going through.
"Oh mom, I'm sorry. I was so wrapped up in my own stuff, I forgot how this must be affecting you."
"Don't be sorry, but I do appreciate it. It's just hitting me. The realization and all of that. Rita, I want you to have a great time. See things away from this little town. Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Meet new people" hesitating a bit before adding, "I want you to be safe."
Looking at her mom with a puzzled look, "What do you mean, safe?"
Taking a deep breath, her mom continued, "This is hard. I've practiced this talk for the last few days."
"What talk? I thought we already had THAT talk," Rita asked, still with a puzzled look.
"Not THAT talk, but it's kind of related."
"I'm not following you. What are you trying to say?"
Again, taking a deep breath, "OK. Here goes. Please just listen until I'm done, or I will lose my thoughts.
"When we were at your school, I noticed how close and relaxed the three of you were around each other. How happy you were. Since graduation, I haven't seen you so happy. I don't know what brought it on, the three of you, but I'm glad for you. I know you and Chris were good friend, but I glad to see that you have a guy friend that makes you happy, and obviously cares a lot about you."
Rita still sat there with a puzzled look, as her mom continued, "Rita, you're a smart, practical, and level headed girl that I am very proud of. Who is very attractive. I know you will always make good decisions in your life. I want to do everything I can to protect you, to keep you safe." Taking another deep breath, "I want to make an appointment for you for birth control pills, if you want to. Taking a deep breath, "There, I said it."
They both sat there looking at each other; Rita - wide eyed - mouth partly open, her mom - with a questioning look, like 'I hope that I didn't overstep'.
Rita spoke first, "Wow. Didn't see that coming."
"I don't know if you are considering becoming sexually active, and really I don't want to know. You're an adult going to be making adult decisions; but, you're still my baby and from my limited experience a hundred years ago, it's kind of something that just happens. Like I said, I trust you. I know how you were raised and I know your values.
"I went back and forth in my mind, should I bring it up, or let you go and hope for the best." Sighing, "In the end, if something should ever happened, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. Things happen. Sometimes things get out of control. I just want you to be safe," her voice cracking again and tears welling up in her eyes as they hugged.
"Thank you mom," her voice also cracking, "To be honest, I hadn't really given it much thought. None, as a matter of fact. That you have, says a lot about what a great mom I have. I know that was hard for you to talk about.
"I love you mom."
"I love you too, dear."
"You practiced for that last few days?" Rita giggled.
"You wouldn't believe it. I couldn't sleep. I would go down to the basement and practice the 'talk'."
"So, did it go like you planned?"
"Better. Oh, and don't worry, this will just be between us. Not a word to your dad. Not sure how he would take it.
"By the way, Chris is getting the same 'talk'. Us moms knew you two would compare notes."
...
"So, you got the talk?" Rita asked over the phone.
"Yup. Really took me by surprise."
"Me too. My mom said she spent days practicing."
"Mine too. So, when is yours?"
"Next Tuesday. Yours?"
"Wednesday. We going to tell Bill?"
"Yeah at some point. I think I want to make sure that's well into my system before I even think about letting him do it without a condom. I wonder how you could tell if it's actually working. That's the one nice thing about a condom, it's a physical thing. The Pill is a chemical thing. What if all of a sudden it stopped working? What if you ate some strange food and it counter acted it?"
Remember, this is the sixties, and the Pill was kind of a new thing, especially in our small town. Not many girls were on it. None that I knew about nor did any of my guy friends. Information on this type of subject was kind of hard to come by. The only women's magazine was