"Why don't you just make him eat?"
Laura Hardy raised her eyes to her sister-in-law over her coffee cup and sighed.
"He's seventeen years old, Gert. I can't strap in a high-chair and spoon feed him."
"Sit him down, fill a plate with food, and tell him he's not getting up until he finishes."
Laura shook her head, setting her coffee down and looking away out the window.
"I don't understand it," she murmured, "I mean, something more is going on here, I know that much about these things, but—"
"What things?"
Laura winced, realizing everyone seemed to be avoiding the words. "You know…eating disorders."
"Eating disorders?"
"You know—"
"Yes I do, I know it's nonsense."
"Nonsense?"
"Nonsense! If someone doesn't feel like eating, you sit down and make them eat until they're over it."
"Gert…it isn't like that."
"How is it then?"
"I'm not really sure, but I know it's a…mental disorder. An illness. You can't help it, it just kind of grows and takes you over. You can't control what you eat or don't eat anymore, although you're convinced you're all right."
Gertrude shook her head. "If you ask me it's a matter of vanity. Girls who want to be thin for their boyfriends who decide not to eat. If there weren't so many naked women on TV we wouldn't have these issues."
"It doesn't have to be a woman. And it's not about body image."
"It's about being thin, of course it's about body image!"
Laura sighed, knowing it was useless to try to talk her sister-in-law out of anything. She didn't blame her; Gertrude was from another time, a time where there was poor mental health care, where you were taught to "get over" emotions, not to try to understand them. And talking to the elder women made her realize how much she lacked a knowledge and understanding of the issues that may be plaguing her younger son.
"What does Fenton plan on doing?"
Laura started as the phone rang. "We're both just going to watch what he eats and do some reading…hello?"
"I'll cook a nice dinner, and we'll sit him down and let him know we're serious. You'll see, it'll be—"
Gertrude cut off when she saw Laura put a hand over her mouth, then murmur a few questions into the phone.
"Thank you," she finally said, quickly hanging up and running for her purse.
"Who was that?" the elder lady demanded as Laura threw on her coat and pulled out her car keys.
"The school," Laura called as she rushed out the back door. "Joe fainted at practice."