"you're old enough to make your own choices."

After her classes on Monday, Ashlee and I took a walk around her campus.

It truly is beautiful! I understood why she chose this college over all the ones she was accepted to.

We sat down on a bench under a large old tree to have a private heart-to-heart conversation. It was time to talk about the live-in boyfriend I knew nothing about.

She was embarrassed I’d found out like I did. I asked her if the relationship was serious. She shrugged her shoulders as if that were her answer.

I smiled reassuringly. “I have no right or reason to judge you, Ashlee. You’re twenty-one and a young woman now. You’re old enough to make your own choices.”

“I should have told you, mom. I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry about me with everything else that’s happened,” she responded with her head down.

“Honey…I just ask you to be careful, okay? As long as the right-wing American Taliban is in Congress you won’t have ANY choices about your own body in this country as a woman. I want you to be able to have and do and be anything you want. All I want is for you to be very careful since you’re sharing a bed with him. Birth control pills AND condoms every single time until you’re ready and want to have a child. And please…please finish college. You worked so hard to get here. I don’t want you to throw this opportunity away. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.” I ran my hand along the side of her head and down her long auburn locks.

I put my finger under her chin to lift her head.

“At least it was me at the door. Imagine if he had answered the door looking like that with your daddy standing on the other side?” I snickered. “Holy shit! That boy would be SO dead!”

We both laughed loudly. It felt so good to finally be able to laugh with my daughter again.

 Tuesday, I woke up very early, packed my bag, and was ready to head home.

“Drive carefully and please call me when you get home,” Ashlee said sleepily as she hugged me.

“Ok kid! I’ll try to keep it under one hundred,” I chuckled. “I love you so much! Thank you for being the best daughter a mom could ever ask for,” I replied and kissed her cheek.

Nine hours into the return trip my cell phone rang. I pulled over to answer it.

“Mom,” Ashlee paused momentarily. “Thank you for coming to visit and letting me know you’re doing better. It means an awful lot to me that you drove all this way to see me. Would it be okay if I come home for Christmas break?” she asked.

“I would love that! Honey, you never need to ask to come home. However, if you’re bringing that sexy boyfriend of yours he WILL be sleeping in the guest room all alone. My house – my rules!” I snickered.

“Oh mom!” she laughed.