I shoot a quick text letting Maddy know I’m on my way, before tapping my mom’s smiling face in my contacts. I slip my headphones in and listen to the ringing.

“Birdie!” My mom greets me with my childhood nickname.

“Hey, Mom. Sorry I missed your call yesterday. School’s been pretty crazy. Getting ready for finals and everything.” I breathe out through my nose to avoid panting into the microphone.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I know how busy you kids get.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire. Missing the weekly call from Mom is dangerous territory. It isn’t done in the Allen clan. We’re a pretty tightknit group thanks to Mom’s kung-fu grip on those family ties.

“How’s school?” Mom asks.

“Great. Busy, but great. I’m heading over to a kickball game right now.”

“What fun,” Mom chirps. A quick beat passes, her maternal senses obviously tingling. “Jessie, honey, are you okay? You’re breathing a little hard.”

“Just a little pre-game warm-up jog.” I grab my headphones and hold the mic away from my mouth.

“You’re not trying to do too much at once, are you?”

I swallow the last bite of my protein bar dinner and deflect. “Me? Never.” I glance at the time on my phone and pick up my pace.

“Jessica Bridget Allen…”

I cringe at my full name.

“You know me, I’m a multitasker,” I quip. She sighs. Time to go on the offensive. “How’s everything with you? You and Dad decide what color to paint the kitchen?”

It’s an underhanded trick to bring up the never-ending remodel, a topic of heated debates between my parents for the past six months. Without fail, my mom launches into her latest argument in favor of chartreuse, a color my dad is convinced belongs nowhere but in a margarita glass. He’s right of course, but all of us Allen children are smart enough not to pick sides in this one.

The baseball field comes into view and I slow down to a brisk walk.

“I absolutely get it. Who wouldn’t want their kitchen painted to symbolize happiness and nature?” I placate Mom as I wave to Maddy to prove I made it. “Look, Mom, I better get going. The game is about to start.”

“Right, right. Good luck. Oh, and don’t forget brunch this weekend. Jake is bringing a new girl for us to meet.”

“A new one? What happened to the one from last month? What was her name, Rachel?”

My mom lets out a deep breath. “I can’t keep track of them, to be honest.”

We share a laugh at my precocious middle brother’s expense.

“When are you going to bring someone home to us, Jessie Bird?”

Not any time soon. Who has time for a serious boyfriend in college? Between sorority duties, intramural sports, study groups, homework and oh yeah, going to class, I sure as hell don’t.

“My team captain is waving at me frantically. I gotta get going. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too, sweetie.”