put his head back on the table. “Anything you want to say for yourself, young man?”
“Can I go to my room now?” Jonah asked, his voice muffled as he still kept his face hidden.
“Assuming your mother doesn’t have anything else to add.” Oliver looked to me, but I had absolutely nothing to say. I didn’t know if I could speak if I wanted to. “OK then.”
Jonah was up like a shot and racing toward the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him as soon as the words left his dad’s mouth.
“And he thinks he shouldn’t try out for track,” he remarked with a wry smile.
Turning away from him, I pushed myself up and balanced unsteadily on one leg.
“Hey, now.”
I ignored him and started hobbling forward, cursing the fact that it took so much effort. Damn me and my clumsy ways! Damn Oliver and his stupid camping trip!
“Where do you think you’re going?” he insisted.
I wouldn’t have replied, but for the fact that he swooped me up, depositing me on his lap. “Hey!” I exclaimed, smacking his chest.
“Alicia.” His voice was firm and even. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”
“I don’t want to talk right now. I’m too mad.”
“We’re not going to run away from our problems. Now, why are you mad?”
“You were too hard on him!” I burst out, my voice in a heated whisper just in case Jonah hadn’t shut his door.
“Do you honestly think so?”
“I do. You grounded him for a month for a party ? Come on, honey.”
“Not just for the party, Alicia. For being deceptive toward your mother, for deliberately disobeying what I’d told him, and for having girls over when he knew better. You heard him. He basically told me that he did it, knowing it was wrong, just to see what I’d do. How could I back down from that? The gauntlet had been thrown.”
I snorted at his analogy. “So this doesn’t just extend to me then? No one is safe?”
H is eyebrows drew together as he frowned. “I told you I am going to be the head of the household, the leader of this family, and I intend to stand by my word. And don’t forget, you asked me to.”
“I didn’t ask you to abuse me in front of him.” With that, I pushed myself off his lap, but Oliver caught my wrists before I could escape.
“Excuse me? When have I ever abused you?”
“You shushed me right in front of him!” I insisted, forgetting to be quiet.
“He needs to know that we all answer to someone, Alicia. Like it or not, you answer to me, and he answers to us both. Think of it like a ladder, a chain of command.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t appreciate it. We never talked about this, I never thought you’d call me ‘young lady’ in front of our son, and I don’t like it.”
“Sit with me,” he invited, his eyes warm. I sighed, and allowed him to pull me down on to his lap. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”
I turned toward him in surprise. “Really?”
He laughed at my expression. “Yes, really. I shouldn’t have scolded you in front of him, and I will try my best not to let it happen again, I promise. But honestly, honey, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you think. He’s a kid, and kids understand and respect a system of order.”
“Maybe,” I said begrudgingly. “But you’d feel differently about it if it were you.”
“Maybe,” he echoed, kissing my nose. “Now, I am sorry I embarrassed you, and I will do my best to make it up to you. But that still doesn’t change the fact even after telling you to let me handle it, you think you know best. If you don’t want me to overrule you in front of Jonah, how do you think I feel when you do it to me?”
“I didn’t…” I trailed off when I realized that I’d done exactly what he said. I had made it known that I disagreed with how he was handling the situation, and my son knew that we weren’t a united front on this issue. “I’m sorry,” I finished lamely.
“Thank you for your apology.”
“Are you…” I found I couldn’t meet
“Can I go to my room now?” Jonah asked, his voice muffled as he still kept his face hidden.
“Assuming your mother doesn’t have anything else to add.” Oliver looked to me, but I had absolutely nothing to say. I didn’t know if I could speak if I wanted to. “OK then.”
Jonah was up like a shot and racing toward the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him as soon as the words left his dad’s mouth.
“And he thinks he shouldn’t try out for track,” he remarked with a wry smile.
Turning away from him, I pushed myself up and balanced unsteadily on one leg.
“Hey, now.”
I ignored him and started hobbling forward, cursing the fact that it took so much effort. Damn me and my clumsy ways! Damn Oliver and his stupid camping trip!
“Where do you think you’re going?” he insisted.
I wouldn’t have replied, but for the fact that he swooped me up, depositing me on his lap. “Hey!” I exclaimed, smacking his chest.
“Alicia.” His voice was firm and even. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”
“I don’t want to talk right now. I’m too mad.”
“We’re not going to run away from our problems. Now, why are you mad?”
“You were too hard on him!” I burst out, my voice in a heated whisper just in case Jonah hadn’t shut his door.
“Do you honestly think so?”
“I do. You grounded him for a month for a party ? Come on, honey.”
“Not just for the party, Alicia. For being deceptive toward your mother, for deliberately disobeying what I’d told him, and for having girls over when he knew better. You heard him. He basically told me that he did it, knowing it was wrong, just to see what I’d do. How could I back down from that? The gauntlet had been thrown.”
I snorted at his analogy. “So this doesn’t just extend to me then? No one is safe?”
H is eyebrows drew together as he frowned. “I told you I am going to be the head of the household, the leader of this family, and I intend to stand by my word. And don’t forget, you asked me to.”
“I didn’t ask you to abuse me in front of him.” With that, I pushed myself off his lap, but Oliver caught my wrists before I could escape.
“Excuse me? When have I ever abused you?”
“You shushed me right in front of him!” I insisted, forgetting to be quiet.
“He needs to know that we all answer to someone, Alicia. Like it or not, you answer to me, and he answers to us both. Think of it like a ladder, a chain of command.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t appreciate it. We never talked about this, I never thought you’d call me ‘young lady’ in front of our son, and I don’t like it.”
“Sit with me,” he invited, his eyes warm. I sighed, and allowed him to pull me down on to his lap. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”
I turned toward him in surprise. “Really?”
He laughed at my expression. “Yes, really. I shouldn’t have scolded you in front of him, and I will try my best not to let it happen again, I promise. But honestly, honey, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you think. He’s a kid, and kids understand and respect a system of order.”
“Maybe,” I said begrudgingly. “But you’d feel differently about it if it were you.”
“Maybe,” he echoed, kissing my nose. “Now, I am sorry I embarrassed you, and I will do my best to make it up to you. But that still doesn’t change the fact even after telling you to let me handle it, you think you know best. If you don’t want me to overrule you in front of Jonah, how do you think I feel when you do it to me?”
“I didn’t…” I trailed off when I realized that I’d done exactly what he said. I had made it known that I disagreed with how he was handling the situation, and my son knew that we weren’t a united front on this issue. “I’m sorry,” I finished lamely.
“Thank you for your apology.”
“Are you…” I found I couldn’t meet
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