A few days ago Second Born and Best Friend, fresh out of college for their summer break, were hanging out at our house (you know, the one with half a bathroom) when Spouse and I got home from work.

“I bought bread,” our child said in passing.

Wait – what?

It was only yesterday when she expected things like bread and milk and peanut butter to magically appear at her whim. Being the typical mom, if there is such a thing, I’ve instinctively known when it was time to replenish the most vital supplies. Yes, it’s instinctive if you can interpret “We need eggs” through a mouthful of egg sandwich.

My first thought was that Second Born needed an extra loaf to make some bready thing she was craving, but no. She had made the adult decision to ensure we weren’t running too low because bread is one of those things you don’t want to be out of, especially during that early morning lunch-packing panic stage. What she didn’t realize was that we had more in the freezer. We tend to only defrost half a loaf at a time, since Spouse and I don’t consume anywhere near as much as when she’s home. By the way, if your grocery bill doesn’t double when your college student returns for the summer, you should be suspicious. They could have another supplier – maybe a friend’s house or Taco Bell.

I shouldn’t be surprised that she thinks with even more independence now, since she had to figure out every meal for herself when she was studying in Budapest without a meal plan. It also should not come to me as a shock when she stopped at our local vegetable stand and was excited to find Brussels sprouts. During her study abroad our youngest discovered the joy of vegetables.

Don’t ask me why she had to go to a foreign country for this. Here is a kid who called herself a vegetarian since she was around 6 because she refused to eat anything that wasn’t pizza, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly. The fact that you had to eat vegetables to be a vegetarian did not deter her. Last fall when she left here, salad was her limit of vegetables. She returned loving paprika and sautéing peppers and onions.

Somewhere along the way, my baby girl who was born with an independent streak, grew up even more. We both notice the difference this time around. It’s not her typical summer at home… it feels more like a visit to her, and even to me a bit. I guess it was inevitable that she would – we would unconsciously begin preparing for what happens after college graduation next year.

It’s not just the youngest. First Born and The Groom are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Seriously? I clearly remember when she starred as the cupcake during her preschool’s version of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” When she was in her teens and if we weren’t home around suppertime, our oldest would wait for us to come home before eating, knowing Mom would whip something together. She’d run away gagging if one of our fur babies tossed up a hairball. Now she’s cooking meals and cleaning litter boxes. Not at the same time, thank you.

It’s true, gone are the days of Mom (and Dad) doing everything for the kids. They’ve learned to take care of themselves. It can be surprising. It can be bittersweet.

It can give me one more person to do the grocery shopping.

— Janine Talbot is adjusting to her empty nest in southern Maine with her spouse of 32 years and two and a half cats. She can be reached at janinevtalbot@gmail.com.