batted her eyes. “Paige, you’re wrong about that. He loves you as you are.”
“He may love me but he wanted a son and you know it. Mom, I’ve tried so hard to be that son for him but he just treats me like dirt.”
Cil’s face paled as tears welled up in her eyes. “He does not. Honey, your father loves you so much, because you are a girl. You have no idea.”
“That’s right. I have no idea.”
Flashes of something she’d heard in college sparked her mind. “You know, I never seriously bought into the concept that men are an inferior gender, but now I have to wonder.”
“Oh, my goodness. This is more of a problem than I thought. Darling, before you come to conclusions in that regard, please sit down with me and talk it out. I think it’s time for that mother-daughter talk you and I never had.”
She allowed Cil to lead her into the house, numb from the scary thoughts she’d just had. But, if those people she’d listened to in college had been right and a woman didn’t really need a man, why did she feel so incomplete? She sat down across the table.
Cil said, “Now, sweetheart, before we go any further, I have to convince you of one thing, one very important thing. First, it’s true. Your father did want a son very much.
“Back in those days, there was no way to tell the sex of a baby before it was born. I have to confess, he had his mind set that he was going to have a son and I didn’t try to change it. But, and I want you to hear this very clearly, the hour you were born, he was so happy to have a daughter, he cried.”
“My father cried? I’ve never seen him do that, even when his own mother passed away.”
“I know. That’s the stoic side of him. But he cried for you. Happy tears.”
“What about my name? Wasn’t that a sarcastic statement of disappointment?”
“No.” Cil’s eyes went watery again. “That was actually my idea. I thought it was cute. You have to admit, if you do become a novelist, it’s a pretty handy pseudonym, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah. Really handy. Like nobody would believe it could possibly be my real name. Do you realize some publishers use my name in promotional blurbs for their writers?”
“No, I didn’t. At any rate, dear, your father has never wished you were a boy since you’ve been born.”
“I find that hard to believe. I mean, he treats me like a man most of the time.”
“Yes. In admiration for the way you handle yourself. You’ve held your own at the paper and he respects that, quite apart from your being his child.”
“So, all the stupid errands he has me run are in respect? Give me a break.”
“I don’t know where he sends you, but you have to believe he loved you as a girl, and he loves you now. As a person. Could it be you’ve never given him a chance in your own mind?”
Paige considered her mom’s words. For ever so long, she’d assumed her dad resented her for being a girl. She’d taken all those meaningless assignments as punishment for failing to live up to his standard of being a boy. Perhaps they were nothing more than mundane tasks that had to be performed by somebody. Anybody.
If that were the case, and her name had been chosen by her mom and not her dad, perhaps her attitude toward him had been wrong. Great! That meant her attitude toward men in general had probably been wrong as well. What about Troy ? Am I wrong about him, too?
* * *
Troy ’s social life had gone into the dumpster. He’d messed up royally and wanted nothing else to happen that could make it worse. The odd thing was that he didn’t resent his self-imposed celibacy. Besides, he had plenty to do to get his new project in motion before that ecologically challenged so-called professor could come back to derail him. Oddly, he hadn’t seen or heard from the man in weeks.
He’d spent a number of days in hurried trips between Flanders, Branson, and Springfield where most of his prime contractors were headquartered. By month’s
“He may love me but he wanted a son and you know it. Mom, I’ve tried so hard to be that son for him but he just treats me like dirt.”
Cil’s face paled as tears welled up in her eyes. “He does not. Honey, your father loves you so much, because you are a girl. You have no idea.”
“That’s right. I have no idea.”
Flashes of something she’d heard in college sparked her mind. “You know, I never seriously bought into the concept that men are an inferior gender, but now I have to wonder.”
“Oh, my goodness. This is more of a problem than I thought. Darling, before you come to conclusions in that regard, please sit down with me and talk it out. I think it’s time for that mother-daughter talk you and I never had.”
She allowed Cil to lead her into the house, numb from the scary thoughts she’d just had. But, if those people she’d listened to in college had been right and a woman didn’t really need a man, why did she feel so incomplete? She sat down across the table.
Cil said, “Now, sweetheart, before we go any further, I have to convince you of one thing, one very important thing. First, it’s true. Your father did want a son very much.
“Back in those days, there was no way to tell the sex of a baby before it was born. I have to confess, he had his mind set that he was going to have a son and I didn’t try to change it. But, and I want you to hear this very clearly, the hour you were born, he was so happy to have a daughter, he cried.”
“My father cried? I’ve never seen him do that, even when his own mother passed away.”
“I know. That’s the stoic side of him. But he cried for you. Happy tears.”
“What about my name? Wasn’t that a sarcastic statement of disappointment?”
“No.” Cil’s eyes went watery again. “That was actually my idea. I thought it was cute. You have to admit, if you do become a novelist, it’s a pretty handy pseudonym, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah. Really handy. Like nobody would believe it could possibly be my real name. Do you realize some publishers use my name in promotional blurbs for their writers?”
“No, I didn’t. At any rate, dear, your father has never wished you were a boy since you’ve been born.”
“I find that hard to believe. I mean, he treats me like a man most of the time.”
“Yes. In admiration for the way you handle yourself. You’ve held your own at the paper and he respects that, quite apart from your being his child.”
“So, all the stupid errands he has me run are in respect? Give me a break.”
“I don’t know where he sends you, but you have to believe he loved you as a girl, and he loves you now. As a person. Could it be you’ve never given him a chance in your own mind?”
Paige considered her mom’s words. For ever so long, she’d assumed her dad resented her for being a girl. She’d taken all those meaningless assignments as punishment for failing to live up to his standard of being a boy. Perhaps they were nothing more than mundane tasks that had to be performed by somebody. Anybody.
If that were the case, and her name had been chosen by her mom and not her dad, perhaps her attitude toward him had been wrong. Great! That meant her attitude toward men in general had probably been wrong as well. What about Troy ? Am I wrong about him, too?
* * *
Troy ’s social life had gone into the dumpster. He’d messed up royally and wanted nothing else to happen that could make it worse. The odd thing was that he didn’t resent his self-imposed celibacy. Besides, he had plenty to do to get his new project in motion before that ecologically challenged so-called professor could come back to derail him. Oddly, he hadn’t seen or heard from the man in weeks.
He’d spent a number of days in hurried trips between Flanders, Branson, and Springfield where most of his prime contractors were headquartered. By month’s
Similar Books
