I stood outside the gym, tapping my foot on the sidewalk. Carter ran
up to me, breathless. "Sorry I'm late," he panted. "Got held up at the
hospital."
I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and straightened his tie. "Annie is NOT happy about this," I said, heading towards the gym, where Annie's first school dance was about to start. Carter and I were chaperones.
"Would you be?" Carter asked.
Just then, Annie ran up to us. Her hair was up in a French twist and a few curls were bouncing around her face. She was wearing a little red dress with thin straps and matching red shoes. She looked like she'd stepped out of the 1940s. "If you guys embarrass me I will never forgive you," she said, under her breath. "Stay on the other side of the gym from me at all times and NO DANCING!"
She ran off again to join her friends. I grinned at Carter. "She's so cute," I said.
"Don't let her hear you say that," he said.
*********************************
"Come on, who is he?" We were standing in Annie's room and Carter was pestering Annie about the boy she'd danced with. "I have a right to know who my daughter is dancing with."
Annie looked at me. "Mom," she pleaded. "Make him stop!"
I pulled another bobby pin out of Annie's hair. "Actually, I'm with your dad," I said. "I wanna know all about this boy."
"Well, I'll tell YOU," Annie said. "But not Dad. He'll get all protective and stuff."
A hurt look flashed across Carter's face but he played it off. "Fine," he said. "But you know your mother will tell me later."
Carter went into our bedroom and I helped Annie out of her dress. "So, tell," I prompted.
Annie grinned. "His name's Ricky and he's in 8th grade. All the girls like him. He plays the violin and the guitar. He got into Weinberg because of the violin and took up the guitar two years ago."
I sat down on Annie's bed and frowned. "8th grade?" I said. Annie was in 6th. "So he's 14."
Annie rolled her eyes. "You're not getting protective, are you?"
"No," I said. "I'm just making sure I have my facts straight."
I stood up and kissed Annie on the head. "Don't tell Dad," she said.
I sighed. "I won't tell him everything."
Carter was eagerly awaiting my arrival in our bedroom. "What'd she say?" he asked.
I unbuttoned my shirt. "His name is Ricky, he's really popular, and he plays the violin."
"Is that all?"
I smiled. "Pretty much," I said lightly. "What were you expecting? A criminal record?"
Carter shook his head. "I just don't want her to fall victim to some evil guy who just wants her for sex."
I laughed. "John, she's twelve!"
"Yeah, but kids are becoming sexually active earlier and earlier."
"She's not stupid. We've talked to her about this stuff. She understands." I climbed into bed. "She knows she can talk to us . . .well, me at least. She's afraid that you'll go all psycho or something," I giggled.
"I'm glad you find it amusing that my daughter doesn't feel she can talk to me," Carter pouted.
I rubbed his arm. "Well, just relax a little bit. Give her some slack. Step back and she'll come to you."
Carter pouted. "When did you become such an expert?" he asked.
"Since I was a teenager girl," I said, closing my eyes.
I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and straightened his tie. "Annie is NOT happy about this," I said, heading towards the gym, where Annie's first school dance was about to start. Carter and I were chaperones.
"Would you be?" Carter asked.
Just then, Annie ran up to us. Her hair was up in a French twist and a few curls were bouncing around her face. She was wearing a little red dress with thin straps and matching red shoes. She looked like she'd stepped out of the 1940s. "If you guys embarrass me I will never forgive you," she said, under her breath. "Stay on the other side of the gym from me at all times and NO DANCING!"
She ran off again to join her friends. I grinned at Carter. "She's so cute," I said.
"Don't let her hear you say that," he said.
*********************************
"Come on, who is he?" We were standing in Annie's room and Carter was pestering Annie about the boy she'd danced with. "I have a right to know who my daughter is dancing with."
Annie looked at me. "Mom," she pleaded. "Make him stop!"
I pulled another bobby pin out of Annie's hair. "Actually, I'm with your dad," I said. "I wanna know all about this boy."
"Well, I'll tell YOU," Annie said. "But not Dad. He'll get all protective and stuff."
A hurt look flashed across Carter's face but he played it off. "Fine," he said. "But you know your mother will tell me later."
Carter went into our bedroom and I helped Annie out of her dress. "So, tell," I prompted.
Annie grinned. "His name's Ricky and he's in 8th grade. All the girls like him. He plays the violin and the guitar. He got into Weinberg because of the violin and took up the guitar two years ago."
I sat down on Annie's bed and frowned. "8th grade?" I said. Annie was in 6th. "So he's 14."
Annie rolled her eyes. "You're not getting protective, are you?"
"No," I said. "I'm just making sure I have my facts straight."
I stood up and kissed Annie on the head. "Don't tell Dad," she said.
I sighed. "I won't tell him everything."
Carter was eagerly awaiting my arrival in our bedroom. "What'd she say?" he asked.
I unbuttoned my shirt. "His name is Ricky, he's really popular, and he plays the violin."
"Is that all?"
I smiled. "Pretty much," I said lightly. "What were you expecting? A criminal record?"
Carter shook his head. "I just don't want her to fall victim to some evil guy who just wants her for sex."
I laughed. "John, she's twelve!"
"Yeah, but kids are becoming sexually active earlier and earlier."
"She's not stupid. We've talked to her about this stuff. She understands." I climbed into bed. "She knows she can talk to us . . .well, me at least. She's afraid that you'll go all psycho or something," I giggled.
"I'm glad you find it amusing that my daughter doesn't feel she can talk to me," Carter pouted.
I rubbed his arm. "Well, just relax a little bit. Give her some slack. Step back and she'll come to you."
Carter pouted. "When did you become such an expert?" he asked.
"Since I was a teenager girl," I said, closing my eyes.
