participate, ” Stuart said, as Allie shrugged noncommittally. “This isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this, Alison,” he added, turning back to my daughter.
About that, Stuart was right. The last time she’d sneaked out without permission, she’d been kidnapped and set up as the main attraction of a rather disgusting demonic ritual. This time, however, she hadn’t disobeyed—not unless sitting outside in your own backyard waiting for news about your resurrected father counts as breaking curfew. I didn’t think so, and my mommy guilt meter was off the charts.
I’d thought my days and nights had become complicated last summer when a demon had crashed through the breakfast room window. Trust me—back then, I didn’t even know what complicated was.
“I don’t know if—” I began, but Allie cut me off.
“It’s okay. Stuart’s right. It’s cool.” She looked at me. “Really. ”
“Inside,” Stuart said, pointing toward the door. “And no sleeping in. Tomorrow’s Saturday. You get up with the family. No lounging around just because you decided to go gallivanting around in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, sir.” She shot one last look at me, then skulked inside.
“You disagree?” Stuart asked, apparently reading my expression.
“No,” I said. “But—”
“I love her, too, Kate,” he said, reaching out to pull a piece of grass out of my hair. He twirled it absently in his fingers as I held my breath, wondering if he’d think to question how it got there. My husband, however, was too caught up with Allie to be concerned about me. “You can overrule me if you want—”
“No,” I said. “It’s okay.” From what I could tell by reading my daughter’s face, it was okay. A bit baffling from my perspective, but I could talk to her about that in the morning.
More important from an overall family point of view was Stuart’s decision to step boldly into the teenage discipline abyss. By default more than design, I’d retained prime parental authority over Allie after Stuart and I had married. I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t greedily held that privilege close to my heart. Allie was mine, and sharing responsibility for major parental decisions would mean that Eric was truly gone.
But even while I’d clutched at the strings of my old life, I’d known it wasn’t fair to Stuart. We were trying to carve out a family, and that can be tough when you’re remolding one that had existed previously. Allie hadn’t forgotten her father, and I didn’t want her to. But those memories stacked up between her and Stuart, a towering gray wall that would forever keep them Alison and Stuart rather than father and daughter.
I didn’t want Stuart to take Eric’s place—even before I knew that Eric would return to claim that right himself, I hadn’t wanted it. But I did want us to be a family. Allie loved Stuart, I knew that. But it’s one thing to love a man who defers to your mother. It’s something completely different to love and respect the man who can take away your freedom, not to mention your clothing budget for the year.
“It’s hard,” Stuart said, taking my hand and leading me to the porch swing. He pulled me down and hooked his arm over my shoulder. “What you have to do.”
“What I have to do?” I repeated, hoping my voice sounded normal and he couldn’t feel the tension I was fighting in my shoulders. “What are you talking about?”
“With Allie,” he said, and I relaxed a little. “Keeping her close, but giving her room to grow up. We’ve got more than a decade left with Timmy, but with Allie, you’re right in the thick of it.”
“ We’re in the thick of it,” I corrected.
He looked at me, as if trying to see my thoughts. I looked back, hoping my face appeared unguarded and none of my secrets shone in my eyes. “You don’t mind?”
“You’re my husband. She’s my daughter. What’s to mind?” I stood up and
About that, Stuart was right. The last time she’d sneaked out without permission, she’d been kidnapped and set up as the main attraction of a rather disgusting demonic ritual. This time, however, she hadn’t disobeyed—not unless sitting outside in your own backyard waiting for news about your resurrected father counts as breaking curfew. I didn’t think so, and my mommy guilt meter was off the charts.
I’d thought my days and nights had become complicated last summer when a demon had crashed through the breakfast room window. Trust me—back then, I didn’t even know what complicated was.
“I don’t know if—” I began, but Allie cut me off.
“It’s okay. Stuart’s right. It’s cool.” She looked at me. “Really. ”
“Inside,” Stuart said, pointing toward the door. “And no sleeping in. Tomorrow’s Saturday. You get up with the family. No lounging around just because you decided to go gallivanting around in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, sir.” She shot one last look at me, then skulked inside.
“You disagree?” Stuart asked, apparently reading my expression.
“No,” I said. “But—”
“I love her, too, Kate,” he said, reaching out to pull a piece of grass out of my hair. He twirled it absently in his fingers as I held my breath, wondering if he’d think to question how it got there. My husband, however, was too caught up with Allie to be concerned about me. “You can overrule me if you want—”
“No,” I said. “It’s okay.” From what I could tell by reading my daughter’s face, it was okay. A bit baffling from my perspective, but I could talk to her about that in the morning.
More important from an overall family point of view was Stuart’s decision to step boldly into the teenage discipline abyss. By default more than design, I’d retained prime parental authority over Allie after Stuart and I had married. I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t greedily held that privilege close to my heart. Allie was mine, and sharing responsibility for major parental decisions would mean that Eric was truly gone.
But even while I’d clutched at the strings of my old life, I’d known it wasn’t fair to Stuart. We were trying to carve out a family, and that can be tough when you’re remolding one that had existed previously. Allie hadn’t forgotten her father, and I didn’t want her to. But those memories stacked up between her and Stuart, a towering gray wall that would forever keep them Alison and Stuart rather than father and daughter.
I didn’t want Stuart to take Eric’s place—even before I knew that Eric would return to claim that right himself, I hadn’t wanted it. But I did want us to be a family. Allie loved Stuart, I knew that. But it’s one thing to love a man who defers to your mother. It’s something completely different to love and respect the man who can take away your freedom, not to mention your clothing budget for the year.
“It’s hard,” Stuart said, taking my hand and leading me to the porch swing. He pulled me down and hooked his arm over my shoulder. “What you have to do.”
“What I have to do?” I repeated, hoping my voice sounded normal and he couldn’t feel the tension I was fighting in my shoulders. “What are you talking about?”
“With Allie,” he said, and I relaxed a little. “Keeping her close, but giving her room to grow up. We’ve got more than a decade left with Timmy, but with Allie, you’re right in the thick of it.”
“ We’re in the thick of it,” I corrected.
He looked at me, as if trying to see my thoughts. I looked back, hoping my face appeared unguarded and none of my secrets shone in my eyes. “You don’t mind?”
“You’re my husband. She’s my daughter. What’s to mind?” I stood up and
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