Read Online Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Jane Clark
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she noticed them. Michelle’s recent preoccupation with exercise,
her insistence that she get her run in every day, along with making
sure she followed the instructions on that exercise video she always
seemed to be playing. Diane had written it off as simply a teenage girl
becoming more aware of her figure.
The container of ice cream that had been sitting, unopened, in the
freezer for months. Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, Michelle’s
favorite. For years Michelle had requested it every time Diane went for
groceries. Again, she hadn’t been concerned, knowing that what a kid
loved wasn’t always what a teenager preferred.
Diane hugged the pillow closer as she thought of Michelle’s garlic
bread in the trash and tried to recall her daughter’s eating habits of
late. There hadn’t been enough family meals since Philip went to
prison. Many evenings she’d gotten home from work and Emily and the
kids said they’d already eaten. Truth be known, Diane guiltily admitted
to herself, she’d been relieved on lots of those nights. It was easier
to pour a bowl of cereal or scramble a couple of eggs for herself and
eat in solitude with a magazine, not having to expend the energy to
engage in conversation. The stress of having her husband away in such
disgrace along with the pressures at the office left Diane wrung out at
night.
Though she had been making it a point to avoid speaking engagements,
dinner plans, and anything else that would keep her from being at home
with the kids in the evening, Diane mentally berated herself. Being
there physically didn’t mean she’d always been there emotionally. She
realized now that perhaps she had been so wrapped up in her own
heartache and worry, she hadn’t been paying enough attention to her
daughter’s.
But she had damn well better start paying attention now. Diane
punched the pillow resolutely. If this was the start of an eating
disorder, it had to be dealt with immediately and decisively. It would
affect Michelle’s health and could lead to even more destructive
behaviors. Look at Leslie Patterson. How ironic that just this morning
she had been feeling sorry for the Patterson family when Diane could be
facing the same problem herself.
Thank God, Michelle wasn’t cutting herself too, or at least Diane
didn’t think she was. Her heart beat faster at the thought. She
wondered what had come first for Leslie Patterson. Did the cutting
follow the eating disorder or vice versa? Did the two destructive
behaviors go hand in hand? Diane squeezed her eyes shut tighter and
concentrated.
Dear Lord, please help me nip this in the
bud.
She felt a bit of ease as she silently prayed, but in the back of
her mind, she knew that asking for God’s help was only part of the
solution. Diane was going to have to stay on top of this.
CHAPTER
20
Carly searched the dimly lit room until she spotted Shawn behind the
bar. The slender blonde maneuvered her way through the crowd and slid
onto an empty stool. Shawn’s face lit up when he saw her.
“I thought you’d never get here.” He leaned over the bar and spoke
loudly into her ear to be heard over the band.
“Me, neither,” Carly shouted back.
“What’ll you have?” he asked.
“A Coke, I guess,” she answered glumly. “Unless you feel like
surprising me.”
Shawn made no comment. He knew Carly wasn’t of legal drinking age.
She was old enough to drive a car and vote and even serve in the armed
forces. But she wasn’t legally allowed to have an alcoholic drink in
New Jersey. It didn’t make much sense.
He partially filled her glass with Coke and quickly splashed in some
rum. If the boss found out he was mixing a drink for someone underage,
he would be out of a job so fast it would make his head spin. But the
boss wasn’t around right now, and it wouldn’t hurt Carly to have a
drink or two.
“Do you think you should take it a little bit easier, Carly?” Shawn
asked as he watched her suck the contents of a second
her insistence that she get her run in every day, along with making
sure she followed the instructions on that exercise video she always
seemed to be playing. Diane had written it off as simply a teenage girl
becoming more aware of her figure.
The container of ice cream that had been sitting, unopened, in the
freezer for months. Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, Michelle’s
favorite. For years Michelle had requested it every time Diane went for
groceries. Again, she hadn’t been concerned, knowing that what a kid
loved wasn’t always what a teenager preferred.
Diane hugged the pillow closer as she thought of Michelle’s garlic
bread in the trash and tried to recall her daughter’s eating habits of
late. There hadn’t been enough family meals since Philip went to
prison. Many evenings she’d gotten home from work and Emily and the
kids said they’d already eaten. Truth be known, Diane guiltily admitted
to herself, she’d been relieved on lots of those nights. It was easier
to pour a bowl of cereal or scramble a couple of eggs for herself and
eat in solitude with a magazine, not having to expend the energy to
engage in conversation. The stress of having her husband away in such
disgrace along with the pressures at the office left Diane wrung out at
night.
Though she had been making it a point to avoid speaking engagements,
dinner plans, and anything else that would keep her from being at home
with the kids in the evening, Diane mentally berated herself. Being
there physically didn’t mean she’d always been there emotionally. She
realized now that perhaps she had been so wrapped up in her own
heartache and worry, she hadn’t been paying enough attention to her
daughter’s.
But she had damn well better start paying attention now. Diane
punched the pillow resolutely. If this was the start of an eating
disorder, it had to be dealt with immediately and decisively. It would
affect Michelle’s health and could lead to even more destructive
behaviors. Look at Leslie Patterson. How ironic that just this morning
she had been feeling sorry for the Patterson family when Diane could be
facing the same problem herself.
Thank God, Michelle wasn’t cutting herself too, or at least Diane
didn’t think she was. Her heart beat faster at the thought. She
wondered what had come first for Leslie Patterson. Did the cutting
follow the eating disorder or vice versa? Did the two destructive
behaviors go hand in hand? Diane squeezed her eyes shut tighter and
concentrated.
Dear Lord, please help me nip this in the
bud.
She felt a bit of ease as she silently prayed, but in the back of
her mind, she knew that asking for God’s help was only part of the
solution. Diane was going to have to stay on top of this.
CHAPTER
20
Carly searched the dimly lit room until she spotted Shawn behind the
bar. The slender blonde maneuvered her way through the crowd and slid
onto an empty stool. Shawn’s face lit up when he saw her.
“I thought you’d never get here.” He leaned over the bar and spoke
loudly into her ear to be heard over the band.
“Me, neither,” Carly shouted back.
“What’ll you have?” he asked.
“A Coke, I guess,” she answered glumly. “Unless you feel like
surprising me.”
Shawn made no comment. He knew Carly wasn’t of legal drinking age.
She was old enough to drive a car and vote and even serve in the armed
forces. But she wasn’t legally allowed to have an alcoholic drink in
New Jersey. It didn’t make much sense.
He partially filled her glass with Coke and quickly splashed in some
rum. If the boss found out he was mixing a drink for someone underage,
he would be out of a job so fast it would make his head spin. But the
boss wasn’t around right now, and it wouldn’t hurt Carly to have a
drink or two.
“Do you think you should take it a little bit easier, Carly?” Shawn
asked as he watched her suck the contents of a second
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