"Have you spent enough time studying?" my mother demanded.

I sighed and switched my cell phone from one ear to the other as I slipped a worn out sweatshirt on a hanger. I might've been all grown up and moved out but her tone would lead you to believe I was still in grade school.

"Of course I've studied enough. Do you think that I would give up in my last year of college, mom? I've already put in three years of work. I'm not going to let it all go to waste."

"Good, good. And how is everything going? How are your grades?" she pressed. I could hear the clicking of a keyboard in the background. God, that woman was always working.

"They're good."

"Good or great?"

"Somewhere in between."

My mother made a disgruntled noise on the other line which caused me to roll my eyes and prepare for battle. Thankfully, she didn't seem to want a fight today. "Well, as long as you're passing and you feel like your life has a decent balance to it I guess we are on the right track. Speaking of which, what are you doing this weekend? I hope you're not working all the time."

"Hey, you told me that you supported my choice in work," I defended. With such a controversial job it was easy to get distrustful of conversations like this.

"Of course I do. If you want to exploit men for their bad behavior and get paid for it then I'm all for it," she agreed, "I just don't want you working too hard. You just need to make enough money to stay afloat. There's no point in wearing yourself out and hurting your grades just so you can make an extra hundred dollars."

"I know. I only work on Saturday night this weekend and Saturdays always bring in a lot of money," I said, still sorting through my clean laundry. But I paused, bracing myself for sharp words with what I was about to propose, "Speaking of balance I was thinking that I would go hiking before I went to work."

"That sounds lovely, where?"

"Rocky Mountain Park," I replied, already wincing.

"No."

"But mom-"

"No, Keiko," she snapped.

"I'm a college student who strips to pay the bills but hiking in a national park is where you draw the line?" I demanded hotly. I was sick of having this conversation with her.

"I don't want you going into that mountain range. It's dangerous, you know that. I told you since you moved there that you have to stay out of those national parks."

"Come on mom, I'll be with other people. Nothing will attack us. Besides, don't you think it's a little much to label an entire mountain range as unsafe?"

"I said no, Keiko."

"This is absurd," I groaned, feeling like I was an irresponsible teen all over again. "Please tell me that this isn't about those stupid myths you and dad used to tell me as a child. There's no such thing as werewolves and even if there are I doubt that they live in this specific mountain range and I doubt that they want to murder just me, okay?"

My mom was quiet on the other end of the line. I wondered if my sassy attempt at humor and objection had pushed her too far.

"I didn't realize you remembered those stories," she said finally.

"You used to tell them to me every night until I was like four, how could I not remember?" I demanded. But there was something about the way that she avoided the question that unnerved me.

"They are old myths and complete nonsense. That is not my concern with those mountains. Just please, stay away from them."

"Mom, you and I survived an abusive man. I don't think that a single hike with a group of friends is going to kill me," I whispered.

I knew that I was on thin ice bringing up my father. He had destroyed my family. I remember my mom being young and carefree. She was no longer that way now. I remember having one big family, with close friends over all the time and smiles all around. It seemed impossible that my father had been abusive and caused us to flee. But here we were, living several states away, talking to no one from our old life.

"You're an adult now and you're too far away for me to keep constant tabs on you. I can't stop you from going. You're too headstrong for that anyway. But I am strongly advising against it. Myths or not, those lands are dangerous."

"Alright mom, I'll think it over," I said. But I had already been defeated. Since I had been very young it had only been the two of us. Going against her wishes would eat at me, even if it was just for something as small as a hike.