Chapter 73

Mom took her cup over to the coffee pot and got herself a refill, taking her time to make her way back. Jill was playing with one of the buns, pulling it apart into small pieces. Her plate was full of bits of bun that only a bird would enjoy.

"I'll let you have tonight, but you know you need to talk to him, Jill. You can't hide from him forever. And I won't let you use my house to run away from your father."

She seemed to concentrate more on the pastry in her hand. "I know. I just wish we never went to the drive-in."

"Come on, Jill. What are you going to do? Watch over your father every minute so he doesn't do something that bothers you? Are you saying that he doesn't deserve to be happy? That you can do anything you want but he has to behave according to some set of rules you want him to live by?"

She shot my mother a look that reminded me of the look a lioness would give an enemy that was threatening her young. Just a flash and then it was gone. But her instinct had been to take my mother on.

"You're right, June. I've got this idea that my Daddy should always be there for me. Tonight he wasn't there."

"Let me ask you this, Jill. What did you miss from him tonight? What did you need him for that he didn't provide?"

"Nothing. If he'd been alone I would have kissed him goodnight and that would be it."

"So what's really wrong?"

"Wanda took away my Daddy."

Mom just sat there, watching my girlfriend, letting what she'd just said sink in a bit.

"Mary thought the same thing about you. Not too long ago. Do you think she really had something to worry about?"

"I wasn't trying to steal you."

"And you think Wanda is?"

"Maybe."

"So then you think Mary should have been upset when your father was taking me out?"

"No. That's different."

Again, she waited her out for several moments.

"Well, it is."

"OK, Tell me. How is Wanda being with your father stealing him from you but him being with me isn't stealing me away from Mary?"

"Well, Wanda hasn't had a father for a long time."

"So you think your father should go to bed with his daughter?"

"NO. You're twisting this all up."

"All right, So tell me. Wanda hasn't had a father. She and your father go to bed. How do you know Wanda is trying to take your father away from you?"

"He'll want to spend time with her instead of me."

"He wanted to spend time with me instead of you, too. Do you think I was stealing him away from you?"

"No. but you're old enough for him."

"Ah. So her age is a problem?"

"Yeah. She's way too young for him."

"OK. She won't be the first 18 year old who attracted an older man. But I'm not going to argue with you. He is quite a lot older than he is. But I also remember talking to someone in this kitchen not too long ago about whether he should give up on a much younger girl. She was 14 and he was 17."

"That was different."

"Only by the number of years. A matter of degree. I happened to convince Jack to put aside his ideas of how young was too young and to give you a chance. I'm not saying your father is right. But legally, Wanda is old enough to decide who she wants to be with. And if he wants to date an 18 year old girl, he's within his rights to do that, too."

"I don't have to like it."

"No, you don't. What would you do if he came to you and told you he wanted to marry her? Would you run away from him?"

"I don't know what I'd do. Do you think he'd do that?"

"I think he'd be foolish if he did, but he wouldn't be the first man to let a younger woman get him to do something foolish."