"We need to talk, Ken," Irene said.
He sipped his coffee as he eyed her warily. "What's wrong? I was surprised when you asked me to meet you here." His eyes narrowed. "This isn't like before, is it?"
She patted his hand. "No, I just needed to get out of the apartment. And I want to apologize again for not including you in Serena 's celebration." She affectionately squeezed his hand.
"No apology needed. But I intend to be at her college graduation. That is, if you can put up with me for that long."
She laughed. "Actually you're very easy to get along with. You give me new hope for the future."
"I'll make you happier than either of your former husbands ever could've."
"I need to talk to you about my marriages, Ken," she said seriously.
"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good."
"I just want to have everything out in the open. Then if you don't want to take this relationship any further, I'll understand," she said anxiously.
"I should warn you about something first," he said softly.
"What?"
"After what I already know about Alexander, anything you tell me about Gene may just make me want to protect you even more." He took her hand in his.
"Because nothing you can tell me could ever make me love you less."
Tears came to her eyes. "You make me so happy, Ken," she whispered. "I don't know how I ever deserved someone like you."
"Let's go to my place and talk," he said as he tenderly brushed the tears falling from her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later they sat in his small apartment side by side on the sofa. He took her hands in his. "I want to know everything about you. I want to feel your pain, then I'll really know you," he said softly. "I want to give you nothing but happiness."
She took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. "I don't know where to begin."
"Start at the beginning. I want to know everything that's a part of who you are today."
"I come from a large family. We're not very close," she explained. "Both of my parents are deceased."
"I'm sorry," he said gently. "When?"
"My father passed away when I was a young child and my mother died of cancer a few years ago."
"That must've been painful."
"More than you know." She turned to face him. "I was married to Alexander at the time. It was horrible! He wouldn't speak to anyone at the funeral home." She closed her eyes for a moment, and then popped them back open. "He made a fool out of me and the girls. He sat alone and wouldn't even acknowledge us. Later he accused me of caring more about my mother than I did him. When I tried to grieve, he told me to get on with my life and quit acting like a mama's girl--that's what he used to call me."
Ken kissed her hands.
"I needed to lean on him. I couldn't believe how cold and heartless he was. It was as though feelings and pain didn't matter, just so he was happy. His happiness was supposed to be the purpose for my life."
"Irene, I wish I could've been there for you." He stroked her hair.
"What would you have done?" She searched his face. He brushed his lips against hers. "I would've held you while you cried, and I would've cried with you. Then I would've listened while you talked through your grief."
She looked into his eyes.
"I would've given you both of my shoulders to lean on. And I wouldn't have let you go until I knew you were ready, no matter how long it took."
She rested her head against his chest. "Alexander used to tell me he'd be there for me, but whenever I needed him he accused me of making my own problems in my life."
"I would never do that." He stroked her cheek.
She felt his heart pounding as she closed her eyes. It felt so good to be this close to him. Her own heart pumped with a new intensity. She felt the first stirrings of love, but she was frightened. She didn't know if she could fully trust a man again.
"Irene," he whispered, "I'm not Gene Johnson or Alexander Copeland."
"I know," she whispered. "I know." She burrowed deeper into his chest, relishing the security she felt there.
"Serena, you look beautiful!" Irene exclaimed as she proudly snapped a picture of her daughter in cap and gown.
"There's my girl," Gene Johnson beamed as he entered the room. "I'll want copies of all the pictures," he said to Irene as he continued to look at Serena.
"Of course," Irene answered. "Is Darien coming here or meeting us there?" she asked.
"He's going to meet us there." She slowly turned around. "Is everything all right on me?" she anxiously asked.
Irene kissed her cheek. "Yes." She stared into her daughter's eyes. "I'm so proud of you. Always remember that."
Serena gave her a weak smile. "I'll be glad when this is over."
"I guess we'd better get going. Where's Lita?" Irene asked.
"I'm ready," Lita panted as she hurried into the room. "I was on the phone."
"You'll see Morrison there," her sister said exasperatedly.
"I know, but he's still upset about his mom," she replied sympathetically.
"Oh?" Gene arched his eyebrows. "Is there something I should know?"
"We gotta go, Dad," Serena interrupted.
He picked up his jacket. "I want to talk to you girls about your boyfriends some time this weekend," he said as he put his jacket on.
"Sure," Lita muttered.
Irene's heart swelled with pride as she watched Serena walk across the stage to accept her diploma. She stole a glance at Gene. His expression didn't give her a clue as to what he was thinking. She thought how nice it would be to have Ken sitting beside her. He made her feel so alive and filled with hope. But she knew she had to tread slowly. Her heart couldn't take any more trauma.
Later she proudly followed Serena around as she hugged, then posed for pictures with her friends.
"I didn't know she was close to anyone," Gene said with a trace of surprise in his voice.
"What did you think she did, Dad? Stay in her room all the time?" Lita asked sarcastically.
"As a matter of fact, I did." He faced Irene. "When you were with Alexander didn't she isolate herself?"
"That was a long time ago," Irene answered coolly.
"Yeah," Lita said. "She might be a geek, but she does have friends."
"Lita, that's not nice. She's not a geek," Irene gently scolded.
Gene stuffed his hands into his pockets as his eyes traveled over the sea of graduates and their guests. Finally his eyes rested on Serena and Darien. "Who's that boy with Serena?"
"Darien the geek," Lita said with a laugh.
"That's the boy she's so infatuated with?"
"He's a nice boy," Irene quickly defended.
"Hmmm. So why haven't I ever met him?"
"It's not like you've visited much, Gene. The girls have always flown to your home. You never spent time on their turf."
"She's too young to be tied down. I think college will be good for her. In a few months Darien will just be a fond memory." His voice was matter-of-fact.
"I don't think so. Serena and Darien have been together for a long time and college certainly hasn't changed his feelings for her," Irene explained.
"She's young--there'll be many boys before she settles down."
Irene looked at Lita and shook her head. They both knew it would do no good to try to explain anything to Gene Johnson. He was a self-proclaimed expert on any topic--even though he knew nothing about it.
"So, where's this Morrison you're so hung up on?" Gene asked Lita.
She shrugged. "He said they were leaving right after the ceremony."
"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to meet him."
"You can meet him tomorrow at Serena 's party."
"Am I going to meet Darien?"
"Give her a chance, Gene. She'll introduce you when the time is right."
He shook his head. "I don't know, Irene. Sometimes I wonder about the way you've raised the girls."
Irene silently prayed he wouldn't do anything tomorrow to ruin Serena 's party. He had a knack for offending anyone who didn't agree with his narrow-minded viewpoints.
"Need help?" Amy asked.
Irene surveyed Serena 's guests, who were mingling around the grill waiting for the hamburgers and hot dogs.
"You can take this tray of vegetables and dips out if you'd like."
"Sure." Amy smiled. "I see you're keeping Gene occupied."
She laughed. "I promised Serena I'd keep him out of her way as much as possible."
"Looks like it's working." She looked around. "You have a nice turnout."
"Better than I thought. I was worried this morning."
Amy peered out the window. "Lita seems lost. Where's Morrison?"
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," Irene said as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "He called early this morning. He was so excited. When they got home last night Mrs. Zaker was waiting for them. I was thrilled for Lisa. Even though her mother's plane arrived too late for the ceremony, at least she did show up. And since the graduation was taped, she got to watch it."
"Are they coming over?"
"They were going to, but Morrison said they have a lot to discuss with their mother. She's planning to take Lisa and Morrison on a trip this summer."
"I'm so happy for them," Amy began, "but I suppose it'll be hard for Lita."
Irene sighed. "I hope the trip I'm planning for us will take her mind off him and Serena's leaving for college this fall."
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Amy picked up the tray. "But just the same, I'll go see if I can cheer her up. Maybe she's feeling a little left out."
"I've tried to spend time with her, but she's at such a difficult stage." She put some crackers on a plate. "And then the Heather Miller situation hasn't helped."
"Oh, I know!" Amy exclaimed. "I was so shocked. But I think Lita handled that with a great deal of maturity and compassion for Heather."
"That she did," Irene proudly agreed.
Amy frowned. "I don't want to interfere, but I think Ken should be here. If he's going to be a part of your life, he needs to be included."
Irene sighed. "Amy, I want nothing more than to have Ken with me at this moment. I don't know if I can explain this, but I feel so different when he's around."
Her friend laughed. "I believe it's called love, Irene."
Her face reddened.
"Give in to it," Amy prodded. "You can't fight it. You've got it bad, girl."
"I've known it for a while," she admitted. "I wanted him with me so desperately last night and especially today. But I couldn't let Gene give him the third degree. Ken really does understand, though."
"Think of yourself and your happiness for once, Irene," Amy said as she opened the door.
Later that night Irene plopped into a chair. She was physically exhausted, but pleased with the success of Serena 's party. Everyone appeared to have had a good time and Gene had even complimented her on how nice it was.
She rubbed her eyes, and then looked at the counter and sink brimming with dirty dishes. She groaned as she thought of the dreaded task ahead of her. Slowly she rose, making her way over to the sink to begin scraping plates. Her thoughts were on Ken. She filled the sink with hot, soapy water. Slowly she washed a plate. She closed her eyes and dreamed of Ken's strong hands caressing her shoulders and neck. She felt goose bumps on her tingling flesh. No man had ever made her feel this way before. She needed to surrender her love to Ken.
"Hi, Mom."
Irene opened her eyes, startled by the intrusion.
Lita plopped down into a chair.
Irene saw the sadness in her eyes. "Hi, Lita. Did you have fun today?"
She shrugged the typical teenager "It was okay" shrug.
"So, how was your talk with your father?"
"The same basic conversation. He should just make a tape and tell us when we need to hear it. He's right about everything and I'm wrong about everything."
"Don't let it get to you, honey. You know deep down inside the real truth."
"Well, he still puts you down!" Her voice was angry.
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't bother me."
"Why don't you stand up to him?" she demanded. "He dumps on you and you won't even defend yourself!"
"What did he say that has you so upset?"
She propped her chin in her hands. "How you aren't a very good mother because Serena and I say what we want. He says we're rude and sarcastic!"
"I can't believe he'd say that to you."
"I'm sick and tired of being around him. I don't want to see him anymore. He's never been a good father. All he does is screw up our lives. He hurts us and he doesn't even care!"
Irene patted Lita's shoulder. "That's just his way. I'll talk to him tomorrow," she promised.
Serena stared in disbelief at her sister. "Lita, why is Dad saying that about me and Mom?"
"He's jealous," she answered as she threw her magazine onto the floor.
"Of what?"
Lita looked at her sister. "How do I know? Probably because we turned out okay."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Serena reasoned. "Mom did a lot for us. Dad never even tried to get to know us."
"I know," Lita answered, "but do you really think he's gonna give Mom any credit?"
She sighed. "I know he won't and it's stupid. He needs to grow up and act like a father."
"What does a father act like?"
Serena laughed.
Lita tossed her hair off her shoulder. "I'm serious." She stared into Serena 's eyes. "We have two examples--Dad and Alexander. And we remember well what kind of father Alexander turned out to be."
"I don't know what Dad's problem is," Serena answered.
"He tries to use his money as a threat. If we don't do what he wants, then he won't help us."
"I don't care," Serena said. "I've got some scholarships and loans and Mom is going to help me."
"Yeah, but that's not the point. He should want us to have more opportunities than he did."
"But he'll never see it that way."
"So what do we do?"
"I don't know about you, Lita, but I'm just not gonna bother with him if he keeps putting us down. What's the point?"
"It's still stupid. He never treats us like he cares about us. He's always got something to complain about."
"Someday maybe he'll look back and see what he's done."
"Even if he does, he'll still twist it around and we'll still get the blame."
"I know," Serena, said with a sigh as she sat on the edge of her sister's bed. Her eyes surveyed the messy room. "We know the truth and that's all that matters." She looked at Lita. "So when are you gonna clean up this mess?"
Lita yawned, then stretched. "What mess?" she asked, scanning the room.
Irene looked intently at her ex-husband. "Gene," she began, "Lita is upset because of the talk you had with her."
"That girl has a problem with respect," he immediately replied.
"Can't you be a little less critical of the girls?"
"They don't appreciate anything. They want and keep expecting more."
"That's not true. They've both worked very hard in school--even through the rough times."
"And whose fault was that?" he asked sharply.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning your relationship with Alexander."
The blood rushed to her face. "I also protected them and removed them from that situation." Her tension built. She fought the urge to tell him what she really thought of him.
"You should've taught them to show respect."
"Serena and Lita have always been respectful. I've taught them to show respect for others, but also that they should be respected in return."
"What you've taught them, Irene, is to have no respect for me," he said harshly.
"Look, Gene, I've never interfered with your relationship with the girls. I've sent you clippings of everything they've ever been involved in and have kept you abreast of everything in their lives." Her eyes narrowed. "I can't believe that you could accuse me of this!"
"I call it as I see it," he calmly answered.
"It's no use talking to you." She turned to leave, then stopped. "I just have one more thing to say to you, Gene."
"What?"
"Just remember the circumstances of our divorce. I never turned my back on my daughters." She didn't wait for his response as she firmly shut his motel room door behind herself.
He sipped his coffee as he eyed her warily. "What's wrong? I was surprised when you asked me to meet you here." His eyes narrowed. "This isn't like before, is it?"
She patted his hand. "No, I just needed to get out of the apartment. And I want to apologize again for not including you in Serena 's celebration." She affectionately squeezed his hand.
"No apology needed. But I intend to be at her college graduation. That is, if you can put up with me for that long."
She laughed. "Actually you're very easy to get along with. You give me new hope for the future."
"I'll make you happier than either of your former husbands ever could've."
"I need to talk to you about my marriages, Ken," she said seriously.
"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good."
"I just want to have everything out in the open. Then if you don't want to take this relationship any further, I'll understand," she said anxiously.
"I should warn you about something first," he said softly.
"What?"
"After what I already know about Alexander, anything you tell me about Gene may just make me want to protect you even more." He took her hand in his.
"Because nothing you can tell me could ever make me love you less."
Tears came to her eyes. "You make me so happy, Ken," she whispered. "I don't know how I ever deserved someone like you."
"Let's go to my place and talk," he said as he tenderly brushed the tears falling from her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later they sat in his small apartment side by side on the sofa. He took her hands in his. "I want to know everything about you. I want to feel your pain, then I'll really know you," he said softly. "I want to give you nothing but happiness."
She took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. "I don't know where to begin."
"Start at the beginning. I want to know everything that's a part of who you are today."
"I come from a large family. We're not very close," she explained. "Both of my parents are deceased."
"I'm sorry," he said gently. "When?"
"My father passed away when I was a young child and my mother died of cancer a few years ago."
"That must've been painful."
"More than you know." She turned to face him. "I was married to Alexander at the time. It was horrible! He wouldn't speak to anyone at the funeral home." She closed her eyes for a moment, and then popped them back open. "He made a fool out of me and the girls. He sat alone and wouldn't even acknowledge us. Later he accused me of caring more about my mother than I did him. When I tried to grieve, he told me to get on with my life and quit acting like a mama's girl--that's what he used to call me."
Ken kissed her hands.
"I needed to lean on him. I couldn't believe how cold and heartless he was. It was as though feelings and pain didn't matter, just so he was happy. His happiness was supposed to be the purpose for my life."
"Irene, I wish I could've been there for you." He stroked her hair.
"What would you have done?" She searched his face. He brushed his lips against hers. "I would've held you while you cried, and I would've cried with you. Then I would've listened while you talked through your grief."
She looked into his eyes.
"I would've given you both of my shoulders to lean on. And I wouldn't have let you go until I knew you were ready, no matter how long it took."
She rested her head against his chest. "Alexander used to tell me he'd be there for me, but whenever I needed him he accused me of making my own problems in my life."
"I would never do that." He stroked her cheek.
She felt his heart pounding as she closed her eyes. It felt so good to be this close to him. Her own heart pumped with a new intensity. She felt the first stirrings of love, but she was frightened. She didn't know if she could fully trust a man again.
"Irene," he whispered, "I'm not Gene Johnson or Alexander Copeland."
"I know," she whispered. "I know." She burrowed deeper into his chest, relishing the security she felt there.
"Serena, you look beautiful!" Irene exclaimed as she proudly snapped a picture of her daughter in cap and gown.
"There's my girl," Gene Johnson beamed as he entered the room. "I'll want copies of all the pictures," he said to Irene as he continued to look at Serena.
"Of course," Irene answered. "Is Darien coming here or meeting us there?" she asked.
"He's going to meet us there." She slowly turned around. "Is everything all right on me?" she anxiously asked.
Irene kissed her cheek. "Yes." She stared into her daughter's eyes. "I'm so proud of you. Always remember that."
Serena gave her a weak smile. "I'll be glad when this is over."
"I guess we'd better get going. Where's Lita?" Irene asked.
"I'm ready," Lita panted as she hurried into the room. "I was on the phone."
"You'll see Morrison there," her sister said exasperatedly.
"I know, but he's still upset about his mom," she replied sympathetically.
"Oh?" Gene arched his eyebrows. "Is there something I should know?"
"We gotta go, Dad," Serena interrupted.
He picked up his jacket. "I want to talk to you girls about your boyfriends some time this weekend," he said as he put his jacket on.
"Sure," Lita muttered.
Irene's heart swelled with pride as she watched Serena walk across the stage to accept her diploma. She stole a glance at Gene. His expression didn't give her a clue as to what he was thinking. She thought how nice it would be to have Ken sitting beside her. He made her feel so alive and filled with hope. But she knew she had to tread slowly. Her heart couldn't take any more trauma.
Later she proudly followed Serena around as she hugged, then posed for pictures with her friends.
"I didn't know she was close to anyone," Gene said with a trace of surprise in his voice.
"What did you think she did, Dad? Stay in her room all the time?" Lita asked sarcastically.
"As a matter of fact, I did." He faced Irene. "When you were with Alexander didn't she isolate herself?"
"That was a long time ago," Irene answered coolly.
"Yeah," Lita said. "She might be a geek, but she does have friends."
"Lita, that's not nice. She's not a geek," Irene gently scolded.
Gene stuffed his hands into his pockets as his eyes traveled over the sea of graduates and their guests. Finally his eyes rested on Serena and Darien. "Who's that boy with Serena?"
"Darien the geek," Lita said with a laugh.
"That's the boy she's so infatuated with?"
"He's a nice boy," Irene quickly defended.
"Hmmm. So why haven't I ever met him?"
"It's not like you've visited much, Gene. The girls have always flown to your home. You never spent time on their turf."
"She's too young to be tied down. I think college will be good for her. In a few months Darien will just be a fond memory." His voice was matter-of-fact.
"I don't think so. Serena and Darien have been together for a long time and college certainly hasn't changed his feelings for her," Irene explained.
"She's young--there'll be many boys before she settles down."
Irene looked at Lita and shook her head. They both knew it would do no good to try to explain anything to Gene Johnson. He was a self-proclaimed expert on any topic--even though he knew nothing about it.
"So, where's this Morrison you're so hung up on?" Gene asked Lita.
She shrugged. "He said they were leaving right after the ceremony."
"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to meet him."
"You can meet him tomorrow at Serena 's party."
"Am I going to meet Darien?"
"Give her a chance, Gene. She'll introduce you when the time is right."
He shook his head. "I don't know, Irene. Sometimes I wonder about the way you've raised the girls."
Irene silently prayed he wouldn't do anything tomorrow to ruin Serena 's party. He had a knack for offending anyone who didn't agree with his narrow-minded viewpoints.
"Need help?" Amy asked.
Irene surveyed Serena 's guests, who were mingling around the grill waiting for the hamburgers and hot dogs.
"You can take this tray of vegetables and dips out if you'd like."
"Sure." Amy smiled. "I see you're keeping Gene occupied."
She laughed. "I promised Serena I'd keep him out of her way as much as possible."
"Looks like it's working." She looked around. "You have a nice turnout."
"Better than I thought. I was worried this morning."
Amy peered out the window. "Lita seems lost. Where's Morrison?"
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," Irene said as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "He called early this morning. He was so excited. When they got home last night Mrs. Zaker was waiting for them. I was thrilled for Lisa. Even though her mother's plane arrived too late for the ceremony, at least she did show up. And since the graduation was taped, she got to watch it."
"Are they coming over?"
"They were going to, but Morrison said they have a lot to discuss with their mother. She's planning to take Lisa and Morrison on a trip this summer."
"I'm so happy for them," Amy began, "but I suppose it'll be hard for Lita."
Irene sighed. "I hope the trip I'm planning for us will take her mind off him and Serena's leaving for college this fall."
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Amy picked up the tray. "But just the same, I'll go see if I can cheer her up. Maybe she's feeling a little left out."
"I've tried to spend time with her, but she's at such a difficult stage." She put some crackers on a plate. "And then the Heather Miller situation hasn't helped."
"Oh, I know!" Amy exclaimed. "I was so shocked. But I think Lita handled that with a great deal of maturity and compassion for Heather."
"That she did," Irene proudly agreed.
Amy frowned. "I don't want to interfere, but I think Ken should be here. If he's going to be a part of your life, he needs to be included."
Irene sighed. "Amy, I want nothing more than to have Ken with me at this moment. I don't know if I can explain this, but I feel so different when he's around."
Her friend laughed. "I believe it's called love, Irene."
Her face reddened.
"Give in to it," Amy prodded. "You can't fight it. You've got it bad, girl."
"I've known it for a while," she admitted. "I wanted him with me so desperately last night and especially today. But I couldn't let Gene give him the third degree. Ken really does understand, though."
"Think of yourself and your happiness for once, Irene," Amy said as she opened the door.
Later that night Irene plopped into a chair. She was physically exhausted, but pleased with the success of Serena 's party. Everyone appeared to have had a good time and Gene had even complimented her on how nice it was.
She rubbed her eyes, and then looked at the counter and sink brimming with dirty dishes. She groaned as she thought of the dreaded task ahead of her. Slowly she rose, making her way over to the sink to begin scraping plates. Her thoughts were on Ken. She filled the sink with hot, soapy water. Slowly she washed a plate. She closed her eyes and dreamed of Ken's strong hands caressing her shoulders and neck. She felt goose bumps on her tingling flesh. No man had ever made her feel this way before. She needed to surrender her love to Ken.
"Hi, Mom."
Irene opened her eyes, startled by the intrusion.
Lita plopped down into a chair.
Irene saw the sadness in her eyes. "Hi, Lita. Did you have fun today?"
She shrugged the typical teenager "It was okay" shrug.
"So, how was your talk with your father?"
"The same basic conversation. He should just make a tape and tell us when we need to hear it. He's right about everything and I'm wrong about everything."
"Don't let it get to you, honey. You know deep down inside the real truth."
"Well, he still puts you down!" Her voice was angry.
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't bother me."
"Why don't you stand up to him?" she demanded. "He dumps on you and you won't even defend yourself!"
"What did he say that has you so upset?"
She propped her chin in her hands. "How you aren't a very good mother because Serena and I say what we want. He says we're rude and sarcastic!"
"I can't believe he'd say that to you."
"I'm sick and tired of being around him. I don't want to see him anymore. He's never been a good father. All he does is screw up our lives. He hurts us and he doesn't even care!"
Irene patted Lita's shoulder. "That's just his way. I'll talk to him tomorrow," she promised.
Serena stared in disbelief at her sister. "Lita, why is Dad saying that about me and Mom?"
"He's jealous," she answered as she threw her magazine onto the floor.
"Of what?"
Lita looked at her sister. "How do I know? Probably because we turned out okay."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Serena reasoned. "Mom did a lot for us. Dad never even tried to get to know us."
"I know," Lita answered, "but do you really think he's gonna give Mom any credit?"
She sighed. "I know he won't and it's stupid. He needs to grow up and act like a father."
"What does a father act like?"
Serena laughed.
Lita tossed her hair off her shoulder. "I'm serious." She stared into Serena 's eyes. "We have two examples--Dad and Alexander. And we remember well what kind of father Alexander turned out to be."
"I don't know what Dad's problem is," Serena answered.
"He tries to use his money as a threat. If we don't do what he wants, then he won't help us."
"I don't care," Serena said. "I've got some scholarships and loans and Mom is going to help me."
"Yeah, but that's not the point. He should want us to have more opportunities than he did."
"But he'll never see it that way."
"So what do we do?"
"I don't know about you, Lita, but I'm just not gonna bother with him if he keeps putting us down. What's the point?"
"It's still stupid. He never treats us like he cares about us. He's always got something to complain about."
"Someday maybe he'll look back and see what he's done."
"Even if he does, he'll still twist it around and we'll still get the blame."
"I know," Serena, said with a sigh as she sat on the edge of her sister's bed. Her eyes surveyed the messy room. "We know the truth and that's all that matters." She looked at Lita. "So when are you gonna clean up this mess?"
Lita yawned, then stretched. "What mess?" she asked, scanning the room.
Irene looked intently at her ex-husband. "Gene," she began, "Lita is upset because of the talk you had with her."
"That girl has a problem with respect," he immediately replied.
"Can't you be a little less critical of the girls?"
"They don't appreciate anything. They want and keep expecting more."
"That's not true. They've both worked very hard in school--even through the rough times."
"And whose fault was that?" he asked sharply.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning your relationship with Alexander."
The blood rushed to her face. "I also protected them and removed them from that situation." Her tension built. She fought the urge to tell him what she really thought of him.
"You should've taught them to show respect."
"Serena and Lita have always been respectful. I've taught them to show respect for others, but also that they should be respected in return."
"What you've taught them, Irene, is to have no respect for me," he said harshly.
"Look, Gene, I've never interfered with your relationship with the girls. I've sent you clippings of everything they've ever been involved in and have kept you abreast of everything in their lives." Her eyes narrowed. "I can't believe that you could accuse me of this!"
"I call it as I see it," he calmly answered.
"It's no use talking to you." She turned to leave, then stopped. "I just have one more thing to say to you, Gene."
"What?"
"Just remember the circumstances of our divorce. I never turned my back on my daughters." She didn't wait for his response as she firmly shut his motel room door behind herself.