Shushanna Slavin's eyes resisted the sleep pulling at their corners. It was supposed to be her "last night," but she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. This wasn't just any night. This was the night. The night her parents told her to choose between them and her sister. The decision to make up her mind on whether she would be loyal to her mom, or to her dad. Shushanna Slavin wasn't about to choose. Not ever.
A little backgroundShushanna Slavin was born on a cold winter's night in a small town. Her parents were both hard-working people who loved her very much. But they had been fighting for years. Shushanna's mom wanted to move to the city where she could pursue her dream of being a writer. Shushanna's dad wanted to stay in the town where he had a稳定的job. Shushanna Slavin was always caught in the middle of their arguments.
One day, Shushanna Slavin's mom packed her bags and left. Shushanna Slavin was devastated. She didn't know what to do. She loved her mom, but she also loved her dad. She didn't want to choose between them.
Shushanna's dad tried to make things better. He bought her presents and took her out to dinner. But nothing he did could fill the void left by her mom. Shushanna Slavin started to act out. She got into fights at school and started hanging out with the wrong crowd. Her dad was at his wit's end. He didn't know what to do.
Then one day, Shushanna Slavin's mom came back. She had missed her daughter terribly. She apologized for leaving and promised to never do it again. Shushanna Slavin was so happy. She thought her family was finally whole again.
But things weren't the same. Shushanna's mom had changed. She was distant and cold. She hardly ever spoke to Shushanna Slavin or her dad. Shushanna Slavin didn't know what to do. She was afraid to lose her mom again. So she kept her mouth shut and pretended that everything was okay.
The last nightOn the night her parents told her to choose, Shushanna Slavin knew she couldn't do it. She loved both of them too much. She couldn't imagine her life without either one of them. So she decided to run away.
She packed a bag and crept out of the house. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stay. Shushanna Slavin walked for hours, until she came to a park. She sat down on a bench and started to cry. She didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, Shushanna Slavin heard a voice. "Are you okay?" the voice asked. Shushanna Slavin looked up and saw a kind-looking woman standing in front of her. The woman sat down next to Shushanna Slavin and listened to her story.
When Shushanna Slavin was finished, the woman said, "You don't have to choose. You can love both of your parents.">
Shushanna Slavin thought about what the woman said. She realized that she was right. She didn't have to choose. She could love both of her parents. She could have both of them in her life.
Shushanna Slavin smiled. She thanked the woman and went home. She told her parents that she loved them both and that she didn't want to choose between them. Her parents were overjoyed. They hugged Shushanna Slavin and told her that they loved her too.
Shushanna Slavin was finally happy. She had both of her parents in her life. She didn't have to choose. She could have both of them.
The EndShushanna Slavin's story is a reminder that we don't always have to choose. We can have both. We can have our cake and eat it too. We just have to be brave enough to go after what we want.