“Neither your mother nor my father would want their death to destroy us,” he would surely say. “I had the feeling my father believed I would be all right no matter what, and I’m sure your mother had great faith in your father.”
Yes, I thought. Yes.
I rose, closed the wardrobe, and shut off the attic light before I went downstairs to the living room, where I found my father asleep in his chair as I had expected. I turned off the television, and just like always, his eyes popped open.
“What?” he said.
“Time to wake up and go to sleep, Dad,” I told him.
He rubbed his cheeks, glanced at his watch, and nodded. “Were you watching television with me?”
“No.”
/> “Still reading that diary?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t tell me about it,” he said, standing and holding his hand out like a traffic cop. “I, personally, want to get a good night’s sleep.”
“I thought you just did, watching television.”
“Ha, ha.” He turned to leave but paused. “Let’s get the week’s food shopping done tomorrow. I think I’m looking at a busy workweek.”
“Okay. I’ll make a list.”
“Good. Good,” he said, and lumbered up the stairway. He paused again and looked back at me. “Don’t stay up too late. Give your eyes a rest.”
“Will do,” I said.
He muttered something to himself and continued up the stairs. I went to the kitchen and began to work on the list. I wouldn’t read any more of the diary tonight, I thought. I’d take a long break.
If I could . . .
Settling into the Trap
“Hey,” Kane Hill said as soon as I picked up my phone. “What happened to you last night? Thought we had a date.”
“I don’t remember making it definite,” I said. “I was just tired. I felt I might be coming down with something, so I decided to rest.”
“Yeah, you came down with boredom. It’s catching around here. How about hanging out today?”
“I have to go shopping with my father and get to my homework. I left it all for the last minute.”
“You? You’re the leading candidate for valedictorian, aren’t you? You’re in all the honors classes.”
“Whatever. I’m not worrying about it, Kane.”
He laughed. “Sure. Anyway, I’m having a house party Friday night to start the three-day weekend. My parents are going to Richmond.”
We had Monday off because of teacher meetings. Most of our teachers, knowing we had an extra day off, usually piled on the homework to make up for it.
“Do your parents know about the party?”
“More or less,” he said. “I wanted to be sure I got to you early enough to get it onto your busy calendar.”
“I can just squeeze you in,” I said, and he laughed again.
“Lana says you’ve been hanging around at Foxworth.”