Mother's dependent

"Ashley, you're just jealous that my mom loves me so much! You're jealous I can afford designer labels and fancy dinners!" My roommate, Tiffany, was practically frothing at the mouth. I rolled my eyes, speechless. Honey, what you're wearing, what you're holding, even the mom you're bragging about – it's all mine.

1

After high school graduation, a certified mama's girl like me turned down better colleges to stay close to home. Weekly dinners with my dear mother were non-negotiable. And honestly, who could blame me? My mom was the epitome of "everyone else's mom." Forty, stylish, open-minded, kind-hearted, and even philanthropic. As far as I knew, she'd been sponsoring a girl my age from a rural, underprivileged area since I was in middle school. They connected mainly through texts and video calls, so I'd never actually met her.

My first day of college arrived, and my dad was a weepy mess, packing my suitcase with painstakingly folded clothes. "Ash, honey, take care of yourself! Call us, video chat, come home whenever you can!" He sniffed, tears welling up again. I gestured towards the university gates, practically visible from our window. "Dad, it’s a ten-minute walk. You'd think I was shipping off to Alaska."

My mom, mid-skincare routine, paused. "Oh, Ash, Tiffany's starting college too. I sent her your old phone." Tiffany was the girl my mom sponsored. I nodded. "Cool. Did you get her that makeup starter kit we talked about?" After hearing Tiffany had also gotten into college, I suggested a little welcome gift. We agreed on makeup; what college freshman doesn't love makeup? "Yup, got it all. I didn't know what shades she liked, so I just got her your usual brands." Mom finished her toner, grabbed her phone, and sent Tiffany a voice message. "Tiffany, honey, did you get the makeup I sent? I wasn't sure about your colors, so I got you a few extra lipsticks. Just pick what you like and let me know if you need anything else." Then she started rushing my dad. "David, come on, Ash is going to be late!" Dad reluctantly zipped my suitcase and drove me the ten minutes to campus, managing to squeeze in another cry before I finally escaped inside.

2

My initial good impression of Tiffany lasted all of two minutes. As soon as I started unpacking, she began parading her makeup around, one item at a time. "Ugh, I told Mom not to buy me so much. I'll never use it all." Show-off much? My roommate, Lindsey, looked on with envy. "Tiffany, your mom is amazing." Tiffany preened. "Well, of course. Who else would she spoil?" I unzipped my makeup bag, placing my own products on the desk. My other roommate, Kayla, leaned in. "Whoa, Ash, you and Tiffany have the exact same makeup!" Her eyes darted back and forth. "Seriously! Every single thing! That’s crazy!" Tiffany gave my collection a dismissive glance. "Not really. Mine's all authentic. Mom picked it out herself." Subtle dig much? Thankfully, I had a backup plan. I pulled out the gift bags Mom had prepared for m...