Davey's Daughter by Linda Byler

a covering sting behind her back. “So now we need to have the talk about dating, too.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Mam watched Sarah’s face, the color spreading across it, the averted eyes, and knew suddenly why she had felt this sense of sadness, the grieving for her lost son, which had to be faced as well as this talk with her daughter.
    Her voice fell firmly on Sarah’s ears.
    “You know that I cannot be untrue to you, Sarah.”
    Groping for words, Sarah’s mouth opened and closed again.
    “I want you to be happy.”
    Mam watched Sarah’s profile, the bowed head, the way the curls sprang from her forehead like they had done when she was a little girl. Mervin’s age.
    How precious these daughters had been arriving in succession after four boys! Little Sarah, her hair a riot always, the mothers clucking and exclaiming, saying that the paternal grandmother had given her that wavy hair — that’s what.
    Here she was, concerned about Sarah but grieving for Mervin when, after all, Mervin was fer-sarked now, wasn’t he? But what about Sarah?
    “You know I have my concerns about Matthew. He’s always been a magnet for girls, and I’m just so afraid….”
    “Stop it, Mam,” Sarah’s voice cut in, sharp, frightened. “You don’t want me to be happy, or you wouldn’t talk to me this way. Matthew really does love me, Mam. He…he kisses me. He…he likes me much more than other girls. I know I can keep him happy. I can be his girl, and he will not want anyone else.”
    Mam thought of backing down, of trying to believe her daughter. She thought of putting her up on the same pedestal where she’d perched Allen, thinking he was so much more than he was. In her eyes, in those days, Allen had done no wrong. Whatever he thought, Mam thought. Whatever he did, Mam thought was just great as well.
    That, she knew now, was the surest, fastest path to a very real tumble off the pedestal, hurting more than one person in a clumsy plunge seen by everyone who had predicted it.
    Mam had learned her lesson when Allen had moped around the house, sighing and crying after his beloved Katie broke off the relationship. He lost his position as foreman of his uncle’s framing crew soon after.
    To exalt one’s offspring, to esteem them with pride, was not the way of the fruits of the Spirit, the humility and love of Christ’s way, she had learned and learned well.
    “Sarah, you stop.” Mam’s voice was terrible, cutting through all the assurance Sarah had piled around her sleeping conscience.
    “First of all, young lady, he kisses you? And how much do you think that has to do with real love? The kind that lasts.”
    “Everything!” Sarah burst out passionately now.
    Mam shook her head in disbelief. “Have I not taught you anything?”
    “Why would you have? I never dated. That should be reason enough, don’t you think?”
    “Sarah, you must listen to me. You said he asked you for a first date and yet he has already kissed you? More than once? I am having a fit, seriously.”
    “Well, you’ll just have to have one then.”
    With that, Sarah propelled herself off the bed and strode purposefully into her room, closing the door with more force than necessary.
    Up came Mam’s head. She stretched both arms high, got off the bed, and followed her daughter’s footsteps. She yanked open the door and stood there, her feet planted firmly, her eyebrows lowered, her fists on her hips.
    “You will not slam a door in my face!”
    “I didn’t.”
    “Of course you did.”
    Then Mam talked, really talked. She warned Sarah of the dangers of confusing love with want or need. She said it was the confusion that follows the heels of living by your own will, tricking yourself into believing that God approves of your will.
    Sarah calmed under Mam’s words, spoken with authority, although not without kindness. Mam assured her she would stand by her choice, and only God knew what the end result would be.
    “I think you are old enough to make