boring me. But I was shaken. For one brief moment I had looked like … like
her
. Impossible. I told myself that I’d studied the scrapbook too many times and had been thrown off balance by Wyatt’s call.
I grabbed the book and shoved it under my bed. I didn’t look in my mirror and quickly left my room.
“Absolutely not,” Mom said. “You’re too young to date.”
“I am not!” I cried. “He’s a really cool guy.”
“I don’t care if he’s the Prince of Wales. You’re not dating when you’re fifteen.”
We were in the kitchen, preparing for the evening cookout. Fortunately all our guests were out of the house for the afternoon, so I could yell. I stamped my foot. “You don’t even know him!”
Mom gave me a smirk. “Point taken.”
I’d walked into a trap.
She asked, “How did you meet him anyway?”
“He—Wyatt—came to visit with Kassey, that friend of Elowyn’s.” I had told Mom all about meeting Kassey and the coincidence of me and Elowyn liking the same flavor ice cream. I’d never told herabout the other odd happenings surrounding my heart donor, though.
“Okay, so he’s a friend of Kassey’s. That’s nice.”
“The three of us talked and he liked me. He asked me out.” I didn’t tell her about Wyatt being Elowyn’s former boyfriend. Too much information for Mom at the moment.
“And when was I going to meet him? On your way out the door?”
My brain was ticking through answers. He’d said I could call if I needed to change plans. “I can get him to come over. Maybe tonight.”
She stopped shaping hamburger patties and sighed. “I’d like to meet him, but you’re not dating him. And not tonight.”
“That’s so unfair!”
“I’m sure you think so.” She dropped the burger onto a tray and faced me. “It’s not just me … I promised your father.”
That stopped me cold. “When? Promised him what?”
“Before he went off,” she said.
I knew she was saying, “… the
last
time he went off.”
She continued. “Before he left, he asked me to make sure you didn’t wear makeup until you were at least fourteen, and that I wouldn’t let you start dating until you were sixteen.”
He’d missed two of my birthdays before he’d left for Afghanistan because he’d been on special assignment with the army, and now he’d never share my birthday again. Still, I didn’t want to give up my argument. “I’ll be sixteen in October.”
“Months from now,” she said.
“Wyatt will have forgotten all about me by then.”
She held up her hand. “I told your father we were in agreement. At that time, neither of us were sure you’d
live
till you were sixteen. You were so sick and we were scared for you.”
Invoking the memory of my father was something she rarely did, so I knew she was serious about my dating future. “I hadn’t
wanted
to wear makeup until after my transplant,” I said stubbornly. “Who ever saw me except family and the homebound teacher?”
“So it was a nonissue. This isn’t.”
“But no boy’s ever asked me out before.”
“A good thing. You’d have just heard the word
no
a little sooner.” She turned back to her hamburgers. “Invite him over for tomorrow night. You can have our living room all to yourselves. I’ll move up my baking schedule and stay out of your way all evening.”
I’d set myself up for her solution since I’d volunteered to have him drop by. “He’ll think I’m a baby.”
“You’re my baby,” she said. “Now grab that headof lettuce and those tomatoes and start getting the condiment platter together.”
Still angry, I did as I was told. The kitchen was quiet except for the sound of Mom shaping burgers and my knife slicing through a ripe red tomato. I threw her a sideways glance and wondered why she and Dad would have taken the time to talk about me wearing makeup and dating when I was just a little girl. Thinking about my dad saddened me. I missed him, and I wouldn’t be seeing him again.
her
. Impossible. I told myself that I’d studied the scrapbook too many times and had been thrown off balance by Wyatt’s call.
I grabbed the book and shoved it under my bed. I didn’t look in my mirror and quickly left my room.
“Absolutely not,” Mom said. “You’re too young to date.”
“I am not!” I cried. “He’s a really cool guy.”
“I don’t care if he’s the Prince of Wales. You’re not dating when you’re fifteen.”
We were in the kitchen, preparing for the evening cookout. Fortunately all our guests were out of the house for the afternoon, so I could yell. I stamped my foot. “You don’t even know him!”
Mom gave me a smirk. “Point taken.”
I’d walked into a trap.
She asked, “How did you meet him anyway?”
“He—Wyatt—came to visit with Kassey, that friend of Elowyn’s.” I had told Mom all about meeting Kassey and the coincidence of me and Elowyn liking the same flavor ice cream. I’d never told herabout the other odd happenings surrounding my heart donor, though.
“Okay, so he’s a friend of Kassey’s. That’s nice.”
“The three of us talked and he liked me. He asked me out.” I didn’t tell her about Wyatt being Elowyn’s former boyfriend. Too much information for Mom at the moment.
“And when was I going to meet him? On your way out the door?”
My brain was ticking through answers. He’d said I could call if I needed to change plans. “I can get him to come over. Maybe tonight.”
She stopped shaping hamburger patties and sighed. “I’d like to meet him, but you’re not dating him. And not tonight.”
“That’s so unfair!”
“I’m sure you think so.” She dropped the burger onto a tray and faced me. “It’s not just me … I promised your father.”
That stopped me cold. “When? Promised him what?”
“Before he went off,” she said.
I knew she was saying, “… the
last
time he went off.”
She continued. “Before he left, he asked me to make sure you didn’t wear makeup until you were at least fourteen, and that I wouldn’t let you start dating until you were sixteen.”
He’d missed two of my birthdays before he’d left for Afghanistan because he’d been on special assignment with the army, and now he’d never share my birthday again. Still, I didn’t want to give up my argument. “I’ll be sixteen in October.”
“Months from now,” she said.
“Wyatt will have forgotten all about me by then.”
She held up her hand. “I told your father we were in agreement. At that time, neither of us were sure you’d
live
till you were sixteen. You were so sick and we were scared for you.”
Invoking the memory of my father was something she rarely did, so I knew she was serious about my dating future. “I hadn’t
wanted
to wear makeup until after my transplant,” I said stubbornly. “Who ever saw me except family and the homebound teacher?”
“So it was a nonissue. This isn’t.”
“But no boy’s ever asked me out before.”
“A good thing. You’d have just heard the word
no
a little sooner.” She turned back to her hamburgers. “Invite him over for tomorrow night. You can have our living room all to yourselves. I’ll move up my baking schedule and stay out of your way all evening.”
I’d set myself up for her solution since I’d volunteered to have him drop by. “He’ll think I’m a baby.”
“You’re my baby,” she said. “Now grab that headof lettuce and those tomatoes and start getting the condiment platter together.”
Still angry, I did as I was told. The kitchen was quiet except for the sound of Mom shaping burgers and my knife slicing through a ripe red tomato. I threw her a sideways glance and wondered why she and Dad would have taken the time to talk about me wearing makeup and dating when I was just a little girl. Thinking about my dad saddened me. I missed him, and I wouldn’t be seeing him again.
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