eleven thirty at night. That’s insane; how is she supposed to learn at school when she’s tired? I also think that having a sister might be good for her.”
“So everything is wrong with Sophia and it’s all my fault and everything is right with Lily-Grace because you raised her?”
“I didn’t say that, Desi,” he said softening his approach a bit. “And I’m not trying to insult you or put you down. All I’m saying is that you need to be more of a parent and less of a friend. And, I wasn’t saying that Lily-Grace was better than Soph; I meant that being the big sister might be a good responsibility for her, she might enjoy it.”
“Sure that’s what you meant. You’re criticizing the way I do everything; you haven’t stopped since you set eyes on me.”
“Desi, wouldn’t you like for Sophia to come running to the car in the afternoon, all excited because she has an invitation to a birthday party or someone wants to have a play date with her?”
“How do you know those things don’t happen?”
“She doesn’t have any friends, Desi. You make your kid into a nice person and the other people like them too. It’s as simple as that.”
Destiny was offended and she’d seen firsthand how Justin handled what he perceived to be bad behavior. That wasn’t happening at all to her child. “There is no way I’m going to allow you to spank my child,” she said.
“I would never spank a child.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and made her look at him. “Spanking is for adults who slipped through the parenting crack and still don’t know how to behave, like you.”
His lips got very close to her ear, close enough that his breath sent shivers and tingles throughout her whole body. “Justin,” she squeaked.
“Sometimes, they’re just for people who like them,” he whispered.
He tried to kiss her but she pushed him away. “I think we better call it a night,” Destiny said. “I think we’ve covered everything.” She was overwhelmed with all of this and she didn't know what to do or say anymore but she needed some time to digest what had happened so far. She had been so happy and hopeful and now he’d just destroyed it all.
“If that’s what you want, Desi, I’ll leave in a minute, but there are still a couple of things I want to discuss,” he said. “The school issue has to be solved.”
“I told you, Justin, I’ll go and sort out the homeschool paperwork tomorrow, okay?”
“Not okay,” Justin said. “Look, honey, I know this isn’t going to be a popular decision but I want Sophia back in school tomorrow. She’s already missed the first day, and I want her to get back and settled in before kids have too much of chance to make friendships.”
“This is not up for discussion,” she said. “I made a promise to Sophia and I’m not going back on that. I promised her she didn’t have to go to school this year.”
“It was a silly promise, Desi, she has to go to school whether she wants to or not. Homeschooling works out just fine for some people but that isn’t at all what you were doing. You were extending summer vacation because you couldn’t deal with Sophia. I can understand that, you were doing it on your own but you’re not on your own anymore. I will help you, but this not going to school thing won’t fly with me. I will expect her there tomorrow morning or I will come and fetch her myself. If it comes to that though, after I get her settled in her class, I’ll be back to have a discussion with you, and I can guarantee you won’t like it.”
“You can’t threaten me!” she said.
“No? Then how about I make a promise? We both know how important you think those are, when it suits you, of course. Bring Sophia to school or else.”
“Do your worst, but don’t be surprised if we’ve gone out when you get here to fetch Sophia,” she said haughtily. Destiny was not about to be bullied into doing something she didn’t want to do.
“Let me
“So everything is wrong with Sophia and it’s all my fault and everything is right with Lily-Grace because you raised her?”
“I didn’t say that, Desi,” he said softening his approach a bit. “And I’m not trying to insult you or put you down. All I’m saying is that you need to be more of a parent and less of a friend. And, I wasn’t saying that Lily-Grace was better than Soph; I meant that being the big sister might be a good responsibility for her, she might enjoy it.”
“Sure that’s what you meant. You’re criticizing the way I do everything; you haven’t stopped since you set eyes on me.”
“Desi, wouldn’t you like for Sophia to come running to the car in the afternoon, all excited because she has an invitation to a birthday party or someone wants to have a play date with her?”
“How do you know those things don’t happen?”
“She doesn’t have any friends, Desi. You make your kid into a nice person and the other people like them too. It’s as simple as that.”
Destiny was offended and she’d seen firsthand how Justin handled what he perceived to be bad behavior. That wasn’t happening at all to her child. “There is no way I’m going to allow you to spank my child,” she said.
“I would never spank a child.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and made her look at him. “Spanking is for adults who slipped through the parenting crack and still don’t know how to behave, like you.”
His lips got very close to her ear, close enough that his breath sent shivers and tingles throughout her whole body. “Justin,” she squeaked.
“Sometimes, they’re just for people who like them,” he whispered.
He tried to kiss her but she pushed him away. “I think we better call it a night,” Destiny said. “I think we’ve covered everything.” She was overwhelmed with all of this and she didn't know what to do or say anymore but she needed some time to digest what had happened so far. She had been so happy and hopeful and now he’d just destroyed it all.
“If that’s what you want, Desi, I’ll leave in a minute, but there are still a couple of things I want to discuss,” he said. “The school issue has to be solved.”
“I told you, Justin, I’ll go and sort out the homeschool paperwork tomorrow, okay?”
“Not okay,” Justin said. “Look, honey, I know this isn’t going to be a popular decision but I want Sophia back in school tomorrow. She’s already missed the first day, and I want her to get back and settled in before kids have too much of chance to make friendships.”
“This is not up for discussion,” she said. “I made a promise to Sophia and I’m not going back on that. I promised her she didn’t have to go to school this year.”
“It was a silly promise, Desi, she has to go to school whether she wants to or not. Homeschooling works out just fine for some people but that isn’t at all what you were doing. You were extending summer vacation because you couldn’t deal with Sophia. I can understand that, you were doing it on your own but you’re not on your own anymore. I will help you, but this not going to school thing won’t fly with me. I will expect her there tomorrow morning or I will come and fetch her myself. If it comes to that though, after I get her settled in her class, I’ll be back to have a discussion with you, and I can guarantee you won’t like it.”
“You can’t threaten me!” she said.
“No? Then how about I make a promise? We both know how important you think those are, when it suits you, of course. Bring Sophia to school or else.”
“Do your worst, but don’t be surprised if we’ve gone out when you get here to fetch Sophia,” she said haughtily. Destiny was not about to be bullied into doing something she didn’t want to do.
“Let me
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