"Do you have a lot to say? I don't remember."
"I spend most of the time in bed moaning. Abigail is on stage. She has a great part. She's eighteen; she says, 'I'll beat you, Betty,' and other stuff and then I jump up and say, 'I want my Mama!' and run to the wall. 'Your Mama is dead and buried,' she says and I say, 'I'll fly to Mama, let me fly!' and then some stuff about drinking blood I haven't learned yet. Can Aunt Suzie come up and see the play when it opens? Maybe Aunt Maureen and the kids can come too?"
"I'm not sure about the children attending or Timmy for that matter. It's a very intense play but we'll certainly ask the adults. I'm really proud of you, Karen."
I kissed her again and returned to my bed, content I'd pulled off the first part of the punishment business successfully. The second phase came in a bitter dose the following morning when I brought down the clothes for Karen to wear, a set I recently washed that she had worn only two days earlier.
"Everyone will notice! They'll think I only own two outfits!" But the protest seemed perfunctory.
I looked forward to talking to Karen after school. I hoped she'd put the incident behind her, where it belonged, but she seemed moody. She immediately went to her room, presumably to update her diary.
"What's a matter?" I asked later as she helped me prepare dinner. "You're not mad about last night, are you?"
"No. You were fair. I deserved worse."
"So what's the problem?"
"There was a question I was going to ask you guys but I messed up so badly yesterday I know you'll say no."
I took her by the shoulders. Karen yesterday is over. Clean slate. That's how it works. Now, ask whatever you want; we may say yes or no, but it has nothing to do with the past. Understood?" She nodded. "What's your question?"
"Maybe I'll wait for the love chair later, okay?" I agreed, but waiting through dinner drove me crazy.
Later, with Paul watching the news downstairs, the two of us snuggled down, the first time in weeks.
"This boy asked me to go to the movies with him. I told him I'd let him know."
I thought we had a year or two before this would be an issue. A new mountain to climb. Think, Sarah. Don't screw this up.
"I'd have to ask your father," I answered.
"I know but I'm nearly a teenager. What do you think? Would have Grandma let you date at my age?"