"Whatever." Her voice was muffled against me.
"I'm sorry it came to that. It was really tough putting you through something so unpleasant and so unnecessary." I felt a wave of guilt. "We were playing games with each other and it got out of hand.
"You're right. I don't know why I made you do it. I was scared shitless."
"You're a very modest young lady. I never thought you'd go through with it."
"Thank you for nursing me."
"I didn't mind, really. I never got to change your diapers." Then I added, "You know, you won a banana split, don't you?"
"Serious?" She sat up.
"Yup. That was always our reward. If we're going to play Sarah's childhood trials and tribulations, we have to follow all the rules."
"Cool. That makes my enduring that thing a little better. You should have told me earlier."
"I didn't want to bribe you into doing something so despicable."
"Would have you made me take the medicine if I hadn't made you do the other business?"
"You needed something. Why are you so against medicine?"
"I don't want to say. Don't make me say it honesty pact; at least not yet."
Her absolute aversion to medicine confounded me but I didn't push the subject. "Maybe most mother's would have made you take it but I'm an awful wimp."
"A wimp wouldn't do what you did." She squeezed me tightly.
"You were marvelous to trust me. I know how private you are and how difficult it is to let go of your privacy, to a stranger."
"You're not a stranger anymore," she whispered. "I . . .like you Sarah, I really do; a lot."
It wasn't the other four-letter word but it was a start. "I love you Karen. I know you believe that."
"Now we have another secret, just between us. Please don't tell Dad!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's super embarrassing," she answered.
"Consider it between us, unless your father asks. What about Dr. Mason?"
"I'll have to think about that but it's really none of his business either. It's between us, isn't it?"
Karen arose early and made muffins before I was out of bed. I asked her how she felt, and she said she was fine. There was a special soccer game that took up most of the day. I cheered my daughter until my throat ached. It must have worked as she scored two goals, and her team won. We followed the victory with the banana split Karen earned.
Paul and Timmy returned Saturday evening after Karen and I finished grocery shopping. Timmy was in as happy a mood as when he left. He clutched a baseball in his glove.