Good Girl Bad (2)

“We’re well past that, Nate,” she says, cutting Ms. Paisley off, and summarizing the meeting so far, her demeanor crisp and business-like. She doesn’t give Nate a chance to respond, but addresses Ms. Paisley again with the air of someone who is used to making all the decisions.

“So, I’ll have a word with her. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Tabby has always been a hard worker. If necessary, I can always limit her phone time. That’s always rather motivating for her.”

Ms. Paisley looks surprised, and starts to open her mouth, but Rebecca cuts her off. “Did you have any questions, Nate?”

“Yes, actually,” he says, though he knows full well that the question was rhetorical, designed to show Ms. Paisley that they were co-parenting cooperatively. Rebecca didn’t really expect him to say yes—to the point that she was half rising from her chair, and stops mid-air.

She glances at Nate, something hard passing across her face fleetingly, then she smiles and sits back down. Poised and gracious.

“Well, obviously we’ll talk to her,” Nate goes on, glancing at Rebecca. “But have you noticed anything at school that might explain it? Any change in her friendship group? Any boys she’s hanging out with, that might be breaking her heart?” Nate looks like he is joking, making light of it, but Rebecca can see that he’s just not sure how appropriate it is to ask Tabby’s home room teacher about her love life, so he’s disguising it under a protective, jovial father spiel.

Joke, joke, joke.

Rebecca thinks Nate is wasting his time. Her time.

Of course Tabby isn’t seeing anyone.

Rebecca actively discourages relationships—she thinks Tabby is far too young, and has more important things to do. Like excel at school and get into a good university. The truth is, though, that Rebecca would have no idea if Tabby was romantically involved with anyone; they don’t have that kind of relationship. Her certainty is rooted entirely in confidence that Tabby would not defy her wishes. She’s not worried by Ms. Paisley’s revelations. Tabby is strong-willed, and can be a little bit feisty, but she falls back into line when Rebecca flexes her parental rights.

For the briefest of moments, that reality is held up for her to examine, and the starkness of it feels uncomfortable, and nags at her. Should she know her daughter better? Should her certainty be rooted in dialogue, not authority? But she turns her thoughts back to the issue at hand.

“I very much doubt Tabby’s been distracted by a boy,” she says, somewhat pompously, and Ms. Paisley looks apologetic again.

“Well, actually, there has been a lot more socializing between the boys and girls this year, and I have noticed Tabby spending a lot of time with a particular young man, Trent Witherall. Has she mentioned him to you at all?”

Rebecca’s demeanor shifts slightly, her posture stiffening, her jaw tensing. Nate glances at her uneasily.

“No, nothing,” Rebecca says, her voice tight. She looks to Nate for confirmation, this time appearing genuinely interested in his response.

“She has mentioned Trent to me, yes,” he says, directing his words to Ms. Paisley. “But she’s never made it sound like they’re dating, or that she likes him in particular. His name has just come up a few times when she’s talking about her friends, what they’re doing on the weekend. Do you think they’re…seeing each other?” Nate is aware of something simmering in Rebecca next to him, and he keeps his eyes carefully on Ms. Paisley.

She, likewise, speaks back directly to Nate. “I would have thought so, yes,” she says, but won’t be drawn into why she thinks that. “I really think that’s a conversation for you to have with your daughter, don’t you think?” she hedges, and Nate wonders what she has seen.

Hand-holding?

Kissing?

Do kids kiss on school grounds these days? He can’t even remember how you wooed girls back in his day. He can’t imagine his broody eldest daughter being buffeted about by the strong feelings of young love.

But broodiness would be the perfect breeding ground for that intensity, that all-or-nothing consuming infatuation, wouldn’t it?

Nate suddenly feels old and out of touch. Unlike Rebecca, he has noticed a change in his daughter. He would have said it had been much longer than this year though, and doubts very much it has anything to do with Trent Witherall. In fact, if his life depended on putting a date to it, he would have said it was a year or two ago that she started to become more withdrawn, more secretive. More broody.

About the time that Rebecca married that twerp, Leroy, in fact.

He steals a glance at his ex-wife. She is sitting very still, projecting that calm, reasonable, I-am-listening-to-you-deeply facade. He wonders if Ms. Paisley can see through it.

He wonders what sort of man can’t see through it.

What sort of man would fall for it.

He did, sure. But he was so young.

You can’t put an old head on young shoulders, his father used to tell him, and he understands the saying differently now.

But Leroy is his age. Forty-five, give or take a few years.

What was Leroy’s excuse?

Or was he just as stupid as twenty-year-old Nate?

And if Leroy was just as stupid as a twenty-year-old, what might have gone on between him and Nate’s sweet sixteen-year-old daughter, that might explain the changes in her mood?