legs, and laced her fingers together over her knee as she leaned forward.
“ Let’s start with your childhood,” Amanda said in melodramatic form. She drew on her theater training, bugging her eyes wide open.
“ Normal. Two great parents, an older brother who protected me and plenty of friends. I’m close with them all today.”
“ Hmmm. Sounds like the famous African Normalcy Syndrome, or what we call ANS. It strikes in our sleep.”
“ But doctor, I’m not complaining of any issues,” Miss Dwyer countered, smiling like a Stepford wife.
“ Ahh, but therein lies the nastiness of this disease,” Amanda said, wagging her finger. “You just don’t know you have it.”
Miss Dwyer drummed her fingers on her knee, smiling inwardly. “Wow, you may be on to something.”
Enjoying herself, Amanda continued. “Now, the real test is how you have matured as an adult. So tell me about your relationships. I see no ring on your finger. You’re passably cute, and you’re probably only twice my age.”
“ Oh, girlfriend, you flatter me so.”
“ Tell me about your love life.”
***
Riley stiffened, even though she knew the teenager was just playing a game. It was a natural reaction. She had exactly one love in her life, and he was no longer available. Her heart had been crushed, perhaps her soul as well.
“ Come on, come on, out with it now,” Amanda mocked.
“ Your time is up, doctor. It’s my turn.”
“ Oooh. Struck a nerve, did I? What is it, give him sex too early and he dumped you? That’s what happens in high school. You gotta tease the guys and manipulate them so they stick around.”
Riley smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. “Okay, young lady, I can see you’ve got a career in psychology ahead of you.”
“ Please,” Amanda scoffed.
“ Now that your father’s dead, tell me about him, Amanda.” Miss Dwyer’s words were a bolt out of the sky, a momentum changer. In an instant, the well-practiced psychiatrist had seized control of the situation.
Amanda stared at her for a moment then looked down, pulling at her pink shirt with one hand, as if picking lint. “Nothing to say. He’s dead.” Then she thought a moment and said, “But he left me half a million dollars. Pretty cool, huh?”
“ Why did he do that?”
“ What do you mean? I’m his daughter; he had to. Mom told me that she had to get a court order.”
“ Really. When did your mom say this?”
“ I don’t know, a few years ago. Dad was always missing child support payments, never helping with anything. He just ignored me.”
“ I see. Why did he do that?”
“ Just the way he is—was. A bastard.”
“ Pretty strong word.”
“ Pretty bad dad.” Amanda acted impatient. “How much of this do I have to endure.”
“ None at all. You can go now. I’ve seen enough.” Riley stood, brushing her pants off.
“ So you agree, then, he was a bad father? That’s cool. So we just sign the paperwork, and I’m good to go.”
Riley stopped. There it was again. “No. You can go, Amanda, but I’m not signing the paperwork.”
“ What do you mean? I came down here to see you, and you’re not even going to sign it?”
“ I don’t have to sign it, so why would I?”
“ If you don’t sign it, I have to wait two weeks to get my half mil,” Amanda said, trying to act like she pulled off multimillion-dollar deals all the time.
“ Oh, no, that’s not true.” Riley stood firm in front of her now. She was the dominant figure, not the pretending, aloof scatterbrain.
“ Really! You mean I don’t need your signature?”
“ No, you need my signature. Actually, what your father’s will states is that if I don’t sign off on your paperwork, your take of his insurance is fifty thousand dollars.”
“ You lying bitch! It doesn’t say that. I have the Army paperwork.”
“ You must not have reviewed it very carefully Amanda, because Major Ross handed me a copy as well.”
Amanda fumed.
“ So then,
“ Let’s start with your childhood,” Amanda said in melodramatic form. She drew on her theater training, bugging her eyes wide open.
“ Normal. Two great parents, an older brother who protected me and plenty of friends. I’m close with them all today.”
“ Hmmm. Sounds like the famous African Normalcy Syndrome, or what we call ANS. It strikes in our sleep.”
“ But doctor, I’m not complaining of any issues,” Miss Dwyer countered, smiling like a Stepford wife.
“ Ahh, but therein lies the nastiness of this disease,” Amanda said, wagging her finger. “You just don’t know you have it.”
Miss Dwyer drummed her fingers on her knee, smiling inwardly. “Wow, you may be on to something.”
Enjoying herself, Amanda continued. “Now, the real test is how you have matured as an adult. So tell me about your relationships. I see no ring on your finger. You’re passably cute, and you’re probably only twice my age.”
“ Oh, girlfriend, you flatter me so.”
“ Tell me about your love life.”
***
Riley stiffened, even though she knew the teenager was just playing a game. It was a natural reaction. She had exactly one love in her life, and he was no longer available. Her heart had been crushed, perhaps her soul as well.
“ Come on, come on, out with it now,” Amanda mocked.
“ Your time is up, doctor. It’s my turn.”
“ Oooh. Struck a nerve, did I? What is it, give him sex too early and he dumped you? That’s what happens in high school. You gotta tease the guys and manipulate them so they stick around.”
Riley smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. “Okay, young lady, I can see you’ve got a career in psychology ahead of you.”
“ Please,” Amanda scoffed.
“ Now that your father’s dead, tell me about him, Amanda.” Miss Dwyer’s words were a bolt out of the sky, a momentum changer. In an instant, the well-practiced psychiatrist had seized control of the situation.
Amanda stared at her for a moment then looked down, pulling at her pink shirt with one hand, as if picking lint. “Nothing to say. He’s dead.” Then she thought a moment and said, “But he left me half a million dollars. Pretty cool, huh?”
“ Why did he do that?”
“ What do you mean? I’m his daughter; he had to. Mom told me that she had to get a court order.”
“ Really. When did your mom say this?”
“ I don’t know, a few years ago. Dad was always missing child support payments, never helping with anything. He just ignored me.”
“ I see. Why did he do that?”
“ Just the way he is—was. A bastard.”
“ Pretty strong word.”
“ Pretty bad dad.” Amanda acted impatient. “How much of this do I have to endure.”
“ None at all. You can go now. I’ve seen enough.” Riley stood, brushing her pants off.
“ So you agree, then, he was a bad father? That’s cool. So we just sign the paperwork, and I’m good to go.”
Riley stopped. There it was again. “No. You can go, Amanda, but I’m not signing the paperwork.”
“ What do you mean? I came down here to see you, and you’re not even going to sign it?”
“ I don’t have to sign it, so why would I?”
“ If you don’t sign it, I have to wait two weeks to get my half mil,” Amanda said, trying to act like she pulled off multimillion-dollar deals all the time.
“ Oh, no, that’s not true.” Riley stood firm in front of her now. She was the dominant figure, not the pretending, aloof scatterbrain.
“ Really! You mean I don’t need your signature?”
“ No, you need my signature. Actually, what your father’s will states is that if I don’t sign off on your paperwork, your take of his insurance is fifty thousand dollars.”
“ You lying bitch! It doesn’t say that. I have the Army paperwork.”
“ You must not have reviewed it very carefully Amanda, because Major Ross handed me a copy as well.”
Amanda fumed.
“ So then,
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