in?”
“Sure, Steph,” their mom’s voice came through the door.
Stephanie pushed the door open. Their mother was lying in bed, reading a book. She slid a piece of paper into the book to mark her spot, and rested it on the bed next to her. Jenna and Stephanie sat down on the foot of the bed. “Mom, we . . .” Jenna looked at Steph for support. Her big sister nodded encouragingly. “We have something to ask,” Jenna went on.
“What’s up?” her mom asked.
“Well, Mom,” Steph began, “we were wondering if we could stay home next weekend, instead of going to Dad’s.”
Their mother frowned. “Why?” she asked, sitting up. “Are you guys not having fun with your father?”
“No, it’s not that,” Jenna said slowly. “It’s just that we just got back from camp, and we had to go straight to school, and I was supposed to—”
“We’re just feeling like we haven’t had time to adjust to being home,” Stephanie said, interrupting Jenna. She threw Jenna a look. “It’s just that.”
Their mom looked concerned. “Well, I’m sorry, girls, but I can’t make that decision. You know very well that it’s been hard for your dad to move away from you, and it wouldn’t be fair if I called him and told him you weren’t coming for the weekend. He looks forward to his time with you. I know if the situation were reversed, there’s no way I’d give up a minute with you kids. I’m sorry, but for now at least, you’re spending weekends at your dad’s. You’ll readjust, I know you will. I know it’s hard.”
Jenna and Steph looked at each other. “But, Mom,” Jenna began.
“Honey, I’m very sorry that this is the way things are,” her mom said, cutting her off. “And your dad is too. But this is just how it has to be right now.” She picked up her book and opened it to the page she’d marked, signaling the end of their conversation.
Jenna sighed. “Fine,” she muttered. She slid off the foot of the bed and stomped out, not waiting to see how Stephanie would take the news.
When she arrived at school the next morning and was shoving her things into her locker, Nicole walked up to her. “What happened to you last night?” Nicole asked.
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Dad made us go out to eat, so we were late getting home,” she replied. “I was going to call you, but Steph was on the phone.”
“Oh,” Nicole said, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. “I wish you hadn’t been gone this weekend—I ended up having the most awesome party at my place on Saturday night. Everybody—everybody—was there! It was really fun.”
“You had a party?” Jenna exclaimed, closing her locker and turning to face her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me on Friday?”
“It was sort of a last-minute thing,” Nicole said nonchalantly. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pack of gum. “Want some?” she asked, offering the pack to Jenna.
“Sure,” Jenna said, reaching for a stick. “Thanks.”
“So anyway,” Nicole went on, taking out a stick of gum for herself and unwrapping it, “it was really cool. I had, like, fifteen people over and we watched movies and stuff. Like I said, I wish you could’ve been there. I called your house thinking maybe you’d decided to stay home from your dad’s, but your mom said you were gone.”
“Yeah,” Jenna said sadly. “I was gone.”
“Are you going to be around this weekend, you think?” Nicole asked. She hefted her backpack onto her shoulder. “Because I was thinking about having another party!”
Jenna sighed. “I don’t know,” she said. “My mom said I had to go to my dad’s, but I really don’t want to. It’s boring there! So . . . I guess I’ll let you know later this week.”
“Cool,” Nicole said with a laugh. “I really wish you could’ve come on Saturday, so I hope you’re around this weekend! I’ve got to get to homeroom—see ya!”
“Bye,” Jenna responded. She turned and walked toward her class,
“Sure, Steph,” their mom’s voice came through the door.
Stephanie pushed the door open. Their mother was lying in bed, reading a book. She slid a piece of paper into the book to mark her spot, and rested it on the bed next to her. Jenna and Stephanie sat down on the foot of the bed. “Mom, we . . .” Jenna looked at Steph for support. Her big sister nodded encouragingly. “We have something to ask,” Jenna went on.
“What’s up?” her mom asked.
“Well, Mom,” Steph began, “we were wondering if we could stay home next weekend, instead of going to Dad’s.”
Their mother frowned. “Why?” she asked, sitting up. “Are you guys not having fun with your father?”
“No, it’s not that,” Jenna said slowly. “It’s just that we just got back from camp, and we had to go straight to school, and I was supposed to—”
“We’re just feeling like we haven’t had time to adjust to being home,” Stephanie said, interrupting Jenna. She threw Jenna a look. “It’s just that.”
Their mom looked concerned. “Well, I’m sorry, girls, but I can’t make that decision. You know very well that it’s been hard for your dad to move away from you, and it wouldn’t be fair if I called him and told him you weren’t coming for the weekend. He looks forward to his time with you. I know if the situation were reversed, there’s no way I’d give up a minute with you kids. I’m sorry, but for now at least, you’re spending weekends at your dad’s. You’ll readjust, I know you will. I know it’s hard.”
Jenna and Steph looked at each other. “But, Mom,” Jenna began.
“Honey, I’m very sorry that this is the way things are,” her mom said, cutting her off. “And your dad is too. But this is just how it has to be right now.” She picked up her book and opened it to the page she’d marked, signaling the end of their conversation.
Jenna sighed. “Fine,” she muttered. She slid off the foot of the bed and stomped out, not waiting to see how Stephanie would take the news.
When she arrived at school the next morning and was shoving her things into her locker, Nicole walked up to her. “What happened to you last night?” Nicole asked.
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Dad made us go out to eat, so we were late getting home,” she replied. “I was going to call you, but Steph was on the phone.”
“Oh,” Nicole said, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. “I wish you hadn’t been gone this weekend—I ended up having the most awesome party at my place on Saturday night. Everybody—everybody—was there! It was really fun.”
“You had a party?” Jenna exclaimed, closing her locker and turning to face her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me on Friday?”
“It was sort of a last-minute thing,” Nicole said nonchalantly. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pack of gum. “Want some?” she asked, offering the pack to Jenna.
“Sure,” Jenna said, reaching for a stick. “Thanks.”
“So anyway,” Nicole went on, taking out a stick of gum for herself and unwrapping it, “it was really cool. I had, like, fifteen people over and we watched movies and stuff. Like I said, I wish you could’ve been there. I called your house thinking maybe you’d decided to stay home from your dad’s, but your mom said you were gone.”
“Yeah,” Jenna said sadly. “I was gone.”
“Are you going to be around this weekend, you think?” Nicole asked. She hefted her backpack onto her shoulder. “Because I was thinking about having another party!”
Jenna sighed. “I don’t know,” she said. “My mom said I had to go to my dad’s, but I really don’t want to. It’s boring there! So . . . I guess I’ll let you know later this week.”
“Cool,” Nicole said with a laugh. “I really wish you could’ve come on Saturday, so I hope you’re around this weekend! I’ve got to get to homeroom—see ya!”
“Bye,” Jenna responded. She turned and walked toward her class,
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