helps her relax. Trouble is, everything is in constant disarray. As soon as she finishes the whole house, she starts over again. I think that's one reason—besides the twit—that Father left us. At least, that was one of his excuses."
"Oh." I wasn't exactly thrilled the way Glynnie and her mother talked so openly about something so private.
"After twenty-four years, Father suddenly decided he couldn't stand the way Mother always had to have a miniature cigar in her hand either. That from a man who has a pipe growing out of his lower lip." Glynnie said this as if she were talking about something as simple as the weather.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
"No brothers or sisters." Glynnie paused to sip her lemonade. "Father does have that new young wife back in Massachusetts. It's not as if he's dead." She took in a quick breath. "Oh. Eric. I'm sorry."
I couldn't toss off a casual "That's okay," but I nodded to show that I accepted her apology.
"I met him once," Glynnie said. "Your father, I mean. When I got car insurance here. Except that his hair was straight and silvery blonde and yours is golden and curly, I think you look just like him. The same boyish face. He didn't look old enough to have a son your age." She stared into her lemonade for a second. "When Father first walked out, I actually thought it would've been better if he'd died."
Glynnie didn't see me wince.
"He hurt me and Mother so much," Glynnie said. "The girl he got involved with was one of Mother's graduate students. That really pissed her off. She griped that she not only lost her husband, but Nicole, one of her best students, too." Glynnie frowned into her lemonade. "Of course, Nicole was so young that I felt as if I had also been replaced."
She swirled a cube of ice with her finger. "Now, though, I don't hate Father … but I still hate what he did. I was so angry. Angry with him for leaving Mom, for leaving me. Mother and I went through counseling and …." She stopped and grinned. "… and we hashed out a lot of our feelings with each other, as you may have guessed. We decided Father always wanted someone to run his life for him and he found someone who would. Nicole is extremely bossy." Glynnie flashed a quick, wicked grin. "It was weird at first when Mother took a job out here in Oregon, but I think we both needed to get away. I'll be off to college next year anyway. I email and text Father every week. Sometimes he answers. Sometimes he doesn't. Maybe someday we'll patch up our relationship." She shrugged. "But, who knows?"
I sat there like a stump. Glynnie had it kind of rough with her father, but at least he was still around so they could try to work things out.
"Well …," Glynnie said, "I've yakked long enough. I'm supposed to be interviewing you. Your size is supposed to be a problem, so how did you end up being a linebacker?"
"Interesting first question," I said, a little surprised.
"I may not play football," Glynnie said, "but I do know enough about football to enjoy it. I went to all the Crystal Lake home games last fall. As for me, well, I'm reasonably coordinated. I play tennis."
That surprised me, too. I'd never noticed her at the games, but when I was playing I was always focused on the field. "Okay. Well, my size. I do get kinda tired of talking about it, but I know it's a concern … especially for college coaches. I always wanted to play football, ever since Dad…" I had to stop and clear my throat. "…since Dad took me to my first game when I was real little. I can't throw well enough to be a quarterback and I'm not big enough to be a lineman. Dad …." I swallowed hard. "Dad said I should be a linebacker anyway."
"Can you hold on a sec?" Glynnie asked. "I can't believe I forgot my pad and pen. I'll run in the house and get them."
Before I could answer, she took off. I drank some lemonade and thought that it wasn't so bad talking to her.
Glynnie came back and sat down. "I
"Oh." I wasn't exactly thrilled the way Glynnie and her mother talked so openly about something so private.
"After twenty-four years, Father suddenly decided he couldn't stand the way Mother always had to have a miniature cigar in her hand either. That from a man who has a pipe growing out of his lower lip." Glynnie said this as if she were talking about something as simple as the weather.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
"No brothers or sisters." Glynnie paused to sip her lemonade. "Father does have that new young wife back in Massachusetts. It's not as if he's dead." She took in a quick breath. "Oh. Eric. I'm sorry."
I couldn't toss off a casual "That's okay," but I nodded to show that I accepted her apology.
"I met him once," Glynnie said. "Your father, I mean. When I got car insurance here. Except that his hair was straight and silvery blonde and yours is golden and curly, I think you look just like him. The same boyish face. He didn't look old enough to have a son your age." She stared into her lemonade for a second. "When Father first walked out, I actually thought it would've been better if he'd died."
Glynnie didn't see me wince.
"He hurt me and Mother so much," Glynnie said. "The girl he got involved with was one of Mother's graduate students. That really pissed her off. She griped that she not only lost her husband, but Nicole, one of her best students, too." Glynnie frowned into her lemonade. "Of course, Nicole was so young that I felt as if I had also been replaced."
She swirled a cube of ice with her finger. "Now, though, I don't hate Father … but I still hate what he did. I was so angry. Angry with him for leaving Mom, for leaving me. Mother and I went through counseling and …." She stopped and grinned. "… and we hashed out a lot of our feelings with each other, as you may have guessed. We decided Father always wanted someone to run his life for him and he found someone who would. Nicole is extremely bossy." Glynnie flashed a quick, wicked grin. "It was weird at first when Mother took a job out here in Oregon, but I think we both needed to get away. I'll be off to college next year anyway. I email and text Father every week. Sometimes he answers. Sometimes he doesn't. Maybe someday we'll patch up our relationship." She shrugged. "But, who knows?"
I sat there like a stump. Glynnie had it kind of rough with her father, but at least he was still around so they could try to work things out.
"Well …," Glynnie said, "I've yakked long enough. I'm supposed to be interviewing you. Your size is supposed to be a problem, so how did you end up being a linebacker?"
"Interesting first question," I said, a little surprised.
"I may not play football," Glynnie said, "but I do know enough about football to enjoy it. I went to all the Crystal Lake home games last fall. As for me, well, I'm reasonably coordinated. I play tennis."
That surprised me, too. I'd never noticed her at the games, but when I was playing I was always focused on the field. "Okay. Well, my size. I do get kinda tired of talking about it, but I know it's a concern … especially for college coaches. I always wanted to play football, ever since Dad…" I had to stop and clear my throat. "…since Dad took me to my first game when I was real little. I can't throw well enough to be a quarterback and I'm not big enough to be a lineman. Dad …." I swallowed hard. "Dad said I should be a linebacker anyway."
"Can you hold on a sec?" Glynnie asked. "I can't believe I forgot my pad and pen. I'll run in the house and get them."
Before I could answer, she took off. I drank some lemonade and thought that it wasn't so bad talking to her.
Glynnie came back and sat down. "I
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