"Oh, hi Mom." She made to walk right past me.
I feigned ignorance, giving her one last shot to come clean. "What did you do this afternoon?" Please, baby girl, don't lie to me again.
She stopped and met my eyes, an easy smile on her face. "Oh, study club, remember? Same as every Friday."
I don't know how to describe the disappointment that washed over me. No, washed was not strong enough. Maybe something more like a dam bursting its gates. Cliche or not, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd trusted her. And now she'd broken that trust. Twice, and to my face. And that look, too. No shiftiness or discomfort there... It hit me. This was not the first time.
This was not the sweet girl I knew.
She continued toward the front porch. "Adelaide."
She halted, and I saw it in her hesitation before she turned back to me. The slightest tell, in the way she steeled her shoulders. She turned back again, the same innocent smile on her face.
I drew a deep breath, and imagined a sense of calm float over me as I exhaled. I would not lose my temper.
"I will not be lied to."
Her eyes shifted momentarily, and I knew I had her. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do, Adelaide." My heart was racing, yet the rest of me was calm. Serene even. "Once, maybe I could forgive. But you just lied to me a second time. To my face. Who were you with this afternoon? And the other two afternoons this week while you were supposed to be at study club?"
She swallowed and looked at her feet as her cheeks filled with color. Caught and she knew it. "Um..."
"The school is required to call if you miss three meetings in a row."
She drew a deep breath then and met my eyes. Hers were filled with tears, and it all came tumbling out so fast that I had to concentrate to understand. "I... I met someone, Mom. His name is Seth and he asked me to prom and I really like him and I thought you wouldn't approve and I didn't know how to tell you and I'm so sorry I hid it from you."
I crossed my arms across my chest. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? And lying to me? Over a boy? Adelaide Noelle Palooza, I thought I'd raised you better than that. Go inside. I'm not sure I can stand to discuss this anymore right now." Truth was, I was dangerously close to losing my temper. "You're grounded. You will not be leaving this house except for school. No study club, no going out with friends."
"Until when?" she whined. If I detested anything else almost as much as lying, it was whining.
I snapped. "Until I say so, young lady! Now go inside!"
"But... but what about Prom?"
The words came out before I could stop them. "You forfeited your right to attend prom when you lied to my face."
She spun around, right in my face. "I hate you!" She couldn't have filled the words with more venom had she tried. "You're a terrible mother and no wonder everyone at school whispers behind my back. They're right to call you the town bicycle! You're no better than a slut!"
She stormed inside and slammed the door, startling at least one of the twins, who started crying.
I followed her wearily up the steps and into the house, and caught moving curtains in one of the windows across the street as I turned to close the door. In not wanting to have this discussion in front of the other kids, I'd broadcasted it to the entire street. Good one, Lola.
But it wasn't the neighborhood gossip that bothered me. It wasn't even the fact that they called me the town bicycle. It was the fact that my daughter had carried this burden alone. No wonder she didn't feel she could tell me about her boyfriend. I pulled myself up by the boot straps. Lying was lying. No matter what, I'd raised her better than that, and she'd been caught. Now she'd have to deal with the consequences, even if that meant I'd gone further than I'd originally intended. If I backed down now, she'd never respect me. My daughter would miss her senior prom, and in the process, learn a tough lesson.
* * *
Adelaide tried her best to win me over. She made it onto the honor roll, she came right home from school and did her homework, then helped me teach the twins their toddler skills.
She cooked.
She cleaned.
She even fixed the toilet and weeded my garden.
Watching her try to earn her way back into my good graces was agonizing. No one tells you how hard it is--not just watching your child make bad choices, but watching them live with the consequences. She was giving her best, but sometimes, love means standing your ground. I was doing this for Adelaide as much as the triplets. I knew better than to think they'd actually learn from her mistakes, but at least they knew what they'd be in for.
Prom came, without a word from Addie, and I knew she'd learned her lesson. She was no longer grounded.
Not that it mattered, because the very next day, it was time for her birthday. Then graduation, and time to send my firstborn out into the world.
She surprised me by not running for the hills as soon as I gave her her freedom. Instead, we had a quiet celebration while the triplets were at school and the twins napped.
Now a Young Adult, Adelaide rolled the Lucky trait, and the Lifetime Wish to be a Hit Movie Composer.
Her traits: Artistic, Virtuoso, Friendly, Natural Performer, Lucky.
She shared her dreams for the future over cake in the yard.
"I really want to give music my best shot, Mom. I don't want to perform. Maybe compose scores for movies or something."
I gave her my blessing. Of course she should follow her dreams--even if it meant she'd be putting herself through school.
After joining the Music Career, we headed over to City Hall to join the rest of her class for the graduation ceremony, and perhaps I would finally meet the elusive young Mr. Kwa.
Addie graduated with highest honors, and was voted most likely to write a bestselling novel. She's certainly artistic enough.
She introduced me to Seth, and we talked for a little while. He seemed like a genuine guy. Someone I'd be proud to see my daughter with, earlier indiscretions aside.
If there was one thing I knew, the young Mr. Kwa was serious about my daughter.
So, I can't say I was all that surprised when I looked out the window after hearing a squeal, and saw this:
Oh my. I had to blink back the tears. I couldn't deny it any longer. My baby was all grown up, and about to get married and start her own life. The full weight of the realization hit me in the chest.
It was time to say goodbye.
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