Todos los capítulos de Mom's Love Is for Everyone but Me: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

When Mom's video call came through, I was crouching on the dorm room floor, scraping the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.The casing was worn thin and curled at the edges. The moment the scissors cut through it, the little bit of toothpaste inside smeared onto my fingertips.Before I could even wipe it off, my phone vibrated loudly. A single word flashed across the screen—Mom.I answered the call.Her first words weren't asking if I'd eaten dinner yet. Instead, she asked, "Malcolm Judd, why did you buy so much toilet paper? Are you really going through it that fast?"My hand froze midair.The dorm room door wasn't fully shut. People were laughing and chatting out in the hallway, so loud and carefree it was as though they were in a different universe.I lowered my voice. "Mom, that's just a normal everyday item.""I asked you why you bought so much," she demanded with a frown, as if she were interrogating a liar. "Can you really use all that in a month? Or are you hoardin

The first time Mom ever took the initiative to buy me clothes was during the winter of my sophomore year of college.The package was delivered downstairs at my dorm. I carried it back to my room, opened it, and found a gray padded jacket inside. The tags had been cut off, the cuffs were pilling, and the zipper kept catching.There was a receipt tucked inside the bag. Apparently, it was purchased for 29 dollars on clearance.Mom texted me."It's getting cold, so I bought you a jacket. Stop saying that your family doesn't take care of you."As I ran my hand over the jacket, my eyes, to my surprise, started to sting.It wasn't stylish, and it didn't fit right. The sleeves were too short, and the shoulders were a little too tight. Even so, I put it on and stood in front of the mirror for a long time."At least she remembers that I get cold," I thought to myself.I texted back, "Thanks, Mom."She replied fairly quickly. "Just remember to be grateful."With that single sentence, th

Mom sent an entire screenful of angry texts into the family group chat."Malcolm, you removed me as your emergency contact? What's the meaning of this? I just told you off a few times, and now you're disowning your own mother?"Michele sent a voice message. "Mom, don't give him any more money. Isn't he capable of applying for student loans? Just let him take one out."Mikey sent a link. It was a video he'd posted on his alternate account. The title read, "My brother's college expense report. I'm dying of laughter!"The thumbnail was a picture of my expense report."Coffee: 3 dollars."That was circled in red."Stomach medicine: 6 dollars and 50 cents—Frequency too high."Toilet paper: 6 dollars and 90 cents—Excessive quantity."Someone in the comments section asked, "Is this your actual brother?"Mikey replied, "Yeah. That's why my mom keeps such a close eye on him. Otherwise, who would bother?"I felt a chill sweep over my body as I stared at that line. I gave him a call.

During the second semester of my third year, I won the National Scholarship.Greg asked me to speak as the student representative.Standing on the stage, I looked down at row after row of young faces. In the past, I used to be terrified of people finding out I was poor, of them knowing my living expenses required an approval process, and of them finding out that even buying stomach medicine required an explanation.Now, as I set my speech on the podium, I said only a few words."I used to think that being poor was a shameful thing. Only later did I realize that what truly kept my head hung low wasn't poverty. It was having someone turn the support they were supposed to give to their child into one interrogation after another."The crowd went silent for a few seconds. Then, applause broke out.I never mentioned Mom, but with every word, I felt like I was helping my past self lift his head higher, bit by bit.When the college's official social media page posted a video of me on st

After graduation, I got a job at a company. When my first paycheck came in, I went back to town to pick up Grandpa.He, however, kept insisting he didn't want to go with me. "I'm old. I'll just be a burden if I go to the city and live with you."I took his worn-out bag from him. "Grandpa, you're not a burden. You're my family."He froze for a long moment when he heard the word "family". Then he looked down and wiped his eyes.I'd rented a two-bedroom apartment in the city. It wasn't huge, but it faced south and got plenty of sunlight.The first time Grandpa set foot inside, he stood at the doorway, afraid to take another step."The floor is so shiny. Won't I get it dirty?"I brought him a pair of slippers. "If it gets dirty, I'll just mop it."He ran his hands over the couch, the curtains, and the new pots in the kitchen. Finally, he said, "This pot is nice. I'll use it to make you some stew.""Okay," I said with a smile.…Life gradually settled into a comfortable routine.