Read Online Sophie Hartley and the Facts of Life by Stephanie Greene - Free Book Online

Dad.” Thad sniffed appreciatively as he came into the kitchen after practice. “That smells like something we can actually eat.”
    Mr. Hartley had taken his meat loaf out of the oven. Now he was taking out the baked potatoes, one by one, wearing Mrs. Hartley’s flowered oven mitts. “I used your mother’s recipe,” he said. “Since John set the table and the girls got the rest of it ready, you can take cleanup.”
    â€œYeah, okay.” Thad turned on the tap to wash his hands. “How’s your foot? You’re not limping anymore.”
    â€œMuch better,” Mr. Hartley said. “I’m beginning to think Mom planned the whole thing so she’d be free to go to Chicago.”
    Maura was sitting on the floor, patting Patsy. At the mention of Mrs. Hartley, she took her thumb out of her mouth and said, “Mommy?”
    â€œMommy will be home soon,” Nora told her. “I hope.”
    Mr. Hartley had kept Maura home from daycare for the afternoon and let her play with pieces of wood in the sawdust while he’d cleaned up his workshop. She had the happy, slightly dazed look of a toddler who could easily fall asleep sitting up.
    When John had arrived home from school, he’d complained it was no fair that Maura had gotten to stay home for part of the day and he hadn’t, so Mr. Hartley had promised he’d give him a surprise after dinner. John was seated at the table now, systematically biting off the ends of the french fries on his plate before lining them up in a neat row.
    â€œIt would be nice if you waited for the rest of us, John,” said Mr. Hartley. He lifted Maura into her highchair as Sophie put a glass of milk at each place. Nora finished tossing the salad and put it in the middle of the table.
    â€œI have to put my spit on them or Thad will steal them,” John said.
    â€œNice, Thad,” Mr. Hartley said as he sat down.
    â€œI’m teaching him important survival skills, right, John?” Thad said. “That’s what older brothers are for.”
    â€œI thought they were to annoy their younger sister,” Nora said.
    â€œI’m glad you said that, Nora,” Mr. Hartley said pleasantly as he picked up his fork. “I thought we’d try something new in the way of conversation tonight.”
    Uh-oh. Sophie and Nora looked at each other. This had to have something to do with them.
    â€œIn the interest of family harmony,” Mr. Hartley went on, “and also out of respect for your mother, we’re going to practice talking pleasantly to one another for the entire meal.”
    â€œâ€˜Pleasantly’?” Nora said.
    â€œAll the way through dessert?” said Sophie.
    â€œWhat does Mom have to do with it?” said Thad.
    â€œYou guys are wearing her down, Thad,” Mr. Hartley said. “The way you talk to one another is ridiculous. You snipe at one another, you insult one another . . . I haven’t heard one of you say something nice or supportive to another since I got home.”
    â€œBut . . .” Sophie started.
    â€œNo buts, Sophie. And it’s no good trying to blame the other guy,” Mr. Hartley said. “You’re all guilty.”
    Sophie slowly closed her mouth.
    â€œNice try, LMS,” Nora said under her breath.
    â€œThat’s exactly what I mean, Nora.”
    Nora looked down at her plate.
    â€œNo wonder your mother is worn out,” Mr. Hartley said. “I would be too if I had to listen to you all the time.”
    It was weird, hearing their dad talk like this. He was saying what their mother always said, but it sounded different when he said it. Everybody was not only listening to him, but
hearing
him—Sophie could tell. Nora and Thad weren’t jumping in and saying something sarcastic, the way they normally would have.
    â€œSo here’s the deal,” their dad said. “From now on, if you don’t have