Trevor and his mom, Miranda, had gotten into a fight after he stepped away from the pc to help. It was an uncomfortable buildup over several hours which exploded into an emotional explosion at the dinner table. Feeling unsupported throughout the process of the divorce, move, and now also the settling into the new house Miranda tried to explain her expectations to her son in the way she knew how. Miranda tried to have a heart to heart with her son, expressing that she needed more from him and he is going to need to step up as man of the house. He will need to take on more responsibilities and do things like take care of the dishes, his own laundry, the lawn, the garbage and countless other chores to help out around the house.
Miranda never understood that the way she confronted Blake, Trevor's Dad, or how she was currently confronting Trevor ended up being less of the intended heart to heart and more of an accusatory bitch fest with chores attached. She was saying, "I need this" but Trevor heard, "You have been sucking at this." Miranda never was good at making it clear that she wasn't holding the unspoken expectations against him, and Trevor's defensive withdraw only made Miranda feel less appreciated. This lead to monologues of the things she does around the house which, felt like more things she held against Trevor.
After several hours of brief chats that went along these lines, the laundry list of chores that had found themselves onto Trevor's plate, the exhaustion of moving constantly, and the emotional strain Trevor was under already from leaving his old life behind, things were pretty bad.
At dinner Miranda, oblivious to how she was being interpreted, continued. "So Trevor, you're the man of the house now, you will need to think about not only yourself but me and the house. You're starting high school soon and it would also be very nice if once in a while you could make dinner. Its just the two of us now and I need you to step up."
"Outside work, inside work, my own laundry, the occasional dinner. So you chased Dad off and want me to replace him. You don't want to be my mom anymore, is that it?"
"Trevor! That's not what I'm saying AT ALL. I have been working my butt off to support us throughout your father's and my divorce and you STILL leave your laundry strewn around the house and dirty dishes in the strangest of places. Why there is a half eaten bowl of mac and cheese in the bathroom is beyond me! You are 14. I love you but I..."
"Wish I would just grow up? Is that it?" Trevor cut in feeling abandoned by both his father and mother now. "Maybe if I was taller I could clean the gutters too, or if I was stronger I could move more boxes!"
Miranda was usually pretty good at dealing with feelings this time, however, she was in an emotional state because like Trevor, she was feeling abandoned by both her ex-husband and son. "Yes Trevor! Some days I DO wish you would be an adult and think of ME, YOUR MOTHER. I have been working on the house since six am and at one in the AFTERNOON I find you playing on the computer, not having done anything around the house. I have to start my new job tomorrow and the house isn't anywhere near settled yet. At this rate, I will have to mess with the house after work every night till you're 20! How is it fair to me?"
"This isn't MY house! You dragged me here to run away from Dad and now you are telling me that on top of school I have to maintain the house by myself, you will buy groceries and make food MOST DAYS, the rest is up to me on top of homework! How is that fair to me?"
"FINE! I admit, its not fair to either of us." Miranda said, thinking she could bring them together over shared misery and trying to pick her battles. "With your father out of the picture we both need to make sacrifices."
Fighting back tears Trevor repeated, "Sacrifices."
"Yes honey." Miranda didn't realize that Trevor just died a little on the inside and was preparing himself to make a sacrifice or two for her. She just thought that she had gotten through to him finally, and she had, but not quite how she imagined. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, but for now, it just does. Maybe it will be different once I can start dating again." Miranda was more so talking to her self at this point, trying to stabilize herself after the emotional roller coaster she went through. "If I find a nice man who can help us and treat us right. I'm just not ready to even think about that yet."
Trevor finished his meal and cleared his plate, rinsing it off for the first time. His whole world had shifted perspective. On some level, his childhood was over and he could see that now, his mom made it clear.
"Thank you honey, we'll get through this."
Trevor was in a distant world contemplating the worlds the Chronivac offered but did hear the comment. He turned to his mother and nodded, "Sacrifices." and then he went to the computer.
Miranda could see Trevor was taking what she said to heart, he's going to grow into a fine young man, unlike his father who would wildly overcompensate and then wonder why things failed.