Lucy Summers heard those familiar words once again.
"Your brother is still young. Can't you give in to him?"
She had just finished her college entrance exams. Only the day before, Lucy Summers had been happily thinking that her scores would surely be excellent, and she would definitely be able to choose a good university.
When she heard her mother say the family couldn't afford to send two children to college, Lucy Summers replied almost instinctively, "I understand, Mom."
Once she processed what her mother had said, her eyes widened in disbelief, and her voice trembled uncontrollably. "Mom, what do you mean?"
"Lulu," her mother said tearfully, gripping Lucy's hand. "I know this is terribly unfair to you, but if there were any other way, I would never do this to you..."
It was the first time Lucy Summers had ever refused her mother's request. "Mom, no. I can agree to anything else, but not this. I want to go to school. I love to study!"
