Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Hey, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can make up an excuse.”
Lou’s eyes widened. “What?”
She’d been thinking about her daughter a lot the last few weeks. Being around the McKay-Taggart kids and their parents had made her start to question why she felt like there was only one way to parent, one way to get an education. Lou was a genius. Did that mean she had to sacrifice her whole childhood? Did that one fact about her have to inform every aspect of her life? “If you don’t want to go, I’ll get you out of it.”
Lou seemed to think about it for a minute. “No, I’ll go. If I don’t, I’ll miss the extra credit, and I want that credit. With the extra credit, I could fail the final and still get an A plus. This way I don’t have to study this weekend and I can hang with my friends. But, Mom, there’s something I want to talk to you about when I get back.”
Daphne felt her whole body tense but tried to let it go. She’d had a feeling this conversation was coming. Her daughter wanted to discuss changing schools. She knew she should tell her that studying was more important than her friends, but was it? If Lou was struggling, then obviously studying would be tantamount. But she worked hard. Kids deserved time off, too. What was she teaching her about balance if she told her an A plus wasn’t good enough? She was sure Hanover Prep could get her ready for college, but could it get her ready for life? “We’ll talk about it when you get back.”
“It’s about school.”
The bell chimed again, and Daphne started for the living room. “I know. Brush your teeth and hair and finish getting ready. We’ll have a long discussion when you get home, and I promise I will listen to you and consider what you have to say.”
Lou should have some say in her future. She wasn’t a reckless kid who didn’t care about anything but having fun. Moving her ahead a couple of grades gave her added responsibilities. If she was ready for those, then she should be able to communicate what she needed, and her mom should be able to seriously have that discussion.
Not that she would tell Amelia. If Lou was going to give public school a try, they would spring that on Amelia at the very last minute.
She opened the door, and her mother-in-law was standing there wearing what Daphne was sure she considered casual wear. Slacks, a silk blouse and a fussy jacket, Tiffany pearls around her neck, and the one accessory she would never leave behind—a frown. “Hello, Amelia. She’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”
Amelia glanced down at her watch before stepping inside. “I was sure I’d told her I would be here at eight. The driver is downstairs waiting. I suppose she got behind.”
Which was Amelia speak for you obviously can’t handle getting one child ready on time.
It was refreshing to not care. “It’s been a busy morning.”
It had been. Boomer had kissed her awake and then she’d had to stay quiet while he’d blown her mind. She’d snuck him out right before waking up Lou and getting her day started.
Wouldn’t it be nice if he didn’t have to sneak out?
“What has happened, Daphne? Did your business suddenly become successful? This is not your furniture.” Amelia looked around the newly redone space. “When you told me you were redecorating, I thought you meant you were finally getting around to painting over those horrible walls.”
“Well, I did.” She hadn’t done it alone. Boomer’s friends Deke and Hutch had brought their wives over, and they’d knocked it out in quick order. Her walls were now a pretty beige gray that contrasted with the lovely white filmy curtains she’d found with Noelle on sale.
“Oh, is it a different color?” Amelia’s nose turned up slightly as she considered the room.
It was absolutely different than the eggshell it had been, but she wasn’t going to argue with her mother-in-law. She didn’t care. Her friends had raved about the new color.
“And this furniture is…is it new?” Amelia held her hands close to her body as though she was afraid of touching something.
“Not exactly.” The couch was new, but the rest was hobbled together. Much of it had come out of Avery O’Donnell’s garage because according to her, her husband was a hoarder who always thought he would have a garage sale but never got around to it. Hence the new-to-her pretty kitchen table and super cute love seat that was more like a tight-fitting chair for Boomer.
Amelia turned her way, her arms crossing over her chest. “What is going on, Daphne? I’ve tried to contact you several times this week, and you’ve been evasive when you bother to talk to me at all. Something happened, and I have a right to know.”