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“I’” He cleared his throat again “We’ve discussed it, and if you want to live with Jeremiah in an apartment this fall, we’ll allow it You’ll have to chip in if it costs ”

I wasn’t expecting that A compromise I was sure it had been my dad’s idea, but I couldn’t take the deal

“Dad, I don’t just want to live in an apartmarried?” ht it through, we really have”

My ? I know Jeremiah doesn’t have a job”

I put my hand in my lap “He used his credit card,” I said

“His credit card that Ada, he has no business buying one”

“It didn’t costhad cost, but the diaured it couldn’t have been that expensive

Sighing, lanced over at ht not believe ot married, ere very e with the best of intentions But all of that just wasn’t enough to sustain us”

Their love for each other, Steven and e work

I knew all of that already

“Do you regret it?” I asked her

“Belly, it isn’t as siret our fa deeply, she said, “No”

“Dad, do you?”

“Belly, no Of course not That’s not what you’reto say”

“Jeremiah and I aren’t you and Mom We’ve known each other our whole lives” I tried to appeal to , and she and Bert have been married for, like, thirty years! It can work, I know it can Jere to be happy We want you guys to be happy for us”

My father rubbed his beard in a way I kneell—he was going to defer to my mother the way he always did

Any second, he would look at her with a question in his eyes It was all up to her now Actually, it had always been up to her

We both looked at her My e

That was the way it worked in our family She closed her eyes briefly and then said, “I can’t support you in this decision, Isabel If you go forith this wedding, I won’t support it I won’t be there”

It knocked the wind out ofit, her continued disapproval … still Still, I thought she’d come around, at least a little

“Mo pained, my father said, “Belly, let’s all just think on this sonored hily, I said, “Mom? I know you don’t mean that”

She shook her head “I doThat’s crazy”

I tried to sound cale of out-and-out hysteria

“No, what’s crazy is the idea of a teenager getting ether “I don’t knohat to say to get through to you How do I get through to you, Isabel?”

“You can’t,” I said