chapter 2

At first, I didn't understand what my mother was doing, but it became obvious soon enough. She finally realized that she'd be losing her "little boy" after so long. I'd be going off to college, leaving her. She wouldn't be a part of my journey for the next four years. She did still have my younger brother (who wasn't getting any of this special treatment, mind you), but her eldest son would be venturing off away. It was probably a pretty difficult time, so what happened was that she forgot about all her rules to create a carefree environment for for the next few months or so until I left.
So basically, she was pampering me. And even when I confronted her about this, she would refute it.
I came home from another day at school, and, unsurprisingly, there was a box of pizza on the coffee table. This was around a week after my acceptance. My mom was sitting on the armchair near the coffee table, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a tabloid in the other. Dad was also tinkering with the clock on the wall nearby the staircase. Mom lifted her eyes to see me, smiled, and motioned for me to sit down and eat. I gratefully did, for I had realized that I absolutely loved stuffing my face. Halfway through eating the pizza, I said, "Well, thanks for the pizza."
"You're done?" She asked. She had a puzzled expression over her face.
"No, of course not. This is delicious. Just saying thanks." My mom continued to sift through the tabloid pages. "But, I do wanna say something."
"And that is?"
"I've kinda realized that your recent behavior is kinda... out of character."
"How so?"
"Never in a million years would you let me eat all this or even eat at the coffee table. You're acting like Grandma."
"Well, I am her daughter," she said emphatically.
"You sound like you're complaining, son," Dad said."If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't ask questions and just go along with it." He let out a soft chuckle.
"Don't get me wrong. I love this, all of this! I just wanted to tease you. I just think that it's possible that your letting your maternal instincts on the loose. Kinda looks like you're pampering a 17 year old."
"John, does that sound like something I'd do?" Mom asked.
Dad replied, "No, it doesn't sweetheart."
"See, Connor? Everything's fine! I'd never do a silly thing like that! Now, eat your pizza."
And the conversation ended like that.

It was now the end of March and the start of spring break. My friends and I made plans to hang out a few times, sometimes at the gym, sometimes at the basketball court, and sometimes just out in the city. Exercising got a bit more difficult with Mom's continuous pampering. Some of my clothes began to feel a bit more snug, but it didn't really matter. It actually felt rather comfortable for my entire body to be constantly hugged by the softness of the clothes I wore. I told all my friends of my Mom's recent behavior, and they all groaned in jealousy, wishing their own overprotective parents would be as chill as mine.
Spring Break was an amazing week and a half. For every moment I wasn't out with friends, I was chilling at home. All my chores had been given to my younger brother, much to his dismay, while I sat on my ass all day long, playing video games and eating the food that was given to me.

April was a pretty hectic time for me. My mother wasn't able to offer me the usual amount of food daily, and even if she did, I wouldn't be able to eat it all. I was wrapping up the final number of volunteer hours I had to complete in order to graduate high school. So, for the remainder of April and the month of May, I didn't eat as much as I used to. But because of my ravenous appetite in March, my average intake of food surely increased. I didn't grow in size, but my body still remained in that snug physique.