Dad nodded solemnly. “We’ll take out a student loan. Our Sarah deserves the best education possible.”
A week after Sarah left for college, they sat me down for a different kind of talk.
“Anna,” Dad said, his voice serious, “we need to tighten our belts for a while. The loan payments and Sarah’s college expenses are significant.”
That’s when things really changed.
While my classmates got new phones every year, I kept my old flip phone until it literally fell apart. When I needed new clothes, we went to thrift stores instead of the mall. Christmas gifts became practical items like socks and school supplies.
But they never forgot to send Sarah money.
“Your sister needs to focus on her studies,” Mom would say as she wrote another check. “We can’t let her feel stressed about money.”
I learned my lesson early.
