"I know you still lie far too easily in spite of what you promised."
"Who says?"
"You just said you were in your room when you were peeking in here. That was a lie. Granted, not a big deal one, but a lie."
She looked contrite. "I try. Sometimes they just sneak out."
"Don't you want to like yourself?"
"How could I? I know the real me."
"Tell you what," I said, coming into the room and buttoning my blouse. "Let's you and I readdress the pact we made before I married your dad; extend it. You don't have to love me; you don't even have to like me; we agreed on that. I love you like mad, but you don't care. So be it, but we're living in the same house, and will be for a long, long time. Let's you and I be honest with each other; one hundred percent. Not just no lying, but honest about everything. If you want to go around lying to everyone else, I can't stop you, but I think it's stupid and to tell you the truth, you're not very good at it."
"Why would you promise something like that? Parents lie all the time. I just haven't caught you yet."
"Not me. You need someone to trust and I'm volunteering; mostly because I love you."
"Stop saying that! You call me a liar and accuse me of playing with myself and then say you love me. That's stupid talk!"
"I never said you touched yourself but if you did that, or anything else, I'd still love you. So would your dad. What do you say about total honesty? It makes life a lot simpler. We don't have to go around pretending and fibbing and all that nonsense. You don't have to peek at me when I'm naked; you can just ask me any questions you want answered. That will be the rest of our pact. I'll answer any question you ask me. Period. Think how great this arrangement would have been a few years ago. You wouldn't have had to put up with all that crap about the stork delivering you and that tooth fairy nonsense."
"Any question?" I nodded. "You won't go running to Dad?"
"Nope. Just you and me, babe. We'll have a cop-out clause to cover extreme personal issues but no fair evoking the clause just because you don't want to answer. Think of all the things you don't know yet, and I might be able to fill you in. It would be like having the Ancient Library of Alexandria at your fingertips; Sarah Blanding North's lifetime experiences and opinions at your beck and call, totally uncensored." I made her smile.