Free Too Dead To Dance by Diane Morlan

instructions and get
signed up. After all, every seventh grader is on
Facebook.”
    “Okay. I’ll look for your
friend request.” I’m sure I heard her giggle.
    “Mom, there’s something
else I want to talk to you about, but I’m not sure I
should.”
    “Oh, Beth, you know you can
tell me anything,” I said, surprised again that she was reluctant
to share with me. She’d never had a problem telling me her secrets,
or had she? I only knew what she told me, not what she chose not to
share.
    “Daddy came up here last
weekend.”
    “That’s terrific. I’m sure
you had a good time. I don’t want you to take sides, Beth. Our
problems are between us. We don’t want you and Nick to feel that
you have to choose between us. We both love you.”
    “I know that, Mom. The
problem is that he brought his girlfriend with him. I didn’t know
what to do.”
    “You mean Marty? I know
about her. I hope you were nice to her.” I knew about the new
girlfriend. She was a waitress at one of the restaurants that
bought coffee from me.
    “It wasn’t Marty that I was
upset with. For cripes sake, she’s almost as young as
me!”
    “Your father is going
through a mid-life crisis. I think he feels that he’s getting old.
The new flashy car and the young flashy girlfriend make him feel
young again.”
    “How can you be so nice
about it? I think it’s horrible and I wanted to yell at
him.”
    “Well, don’t yell at him, I
already did that. It didn’t do any good. Just give him some time.
You two have always been so close. Don’t lose that
feeling.”
    “Mom, that closeness ended
a long time ago. Actually Daddy’s been different since we moved to
Hermann. I just don’t know what’s up with him.”
    “I don’t know either,
Sweetie. But he’s your father so be nice to him.”
    “I will and I was but it
was such an uncomfortable situation. I gave them a cottage to use
while they were here. I couldn’t bear to have them sleep together
in my house. Gross! Now I know why you wouldn’t let Ken sleep over
before we got married.”
    “I’m sorry that he put you
in such an awkward situation, Beth.”
    “It was more than awkward,
Mom. The second night they were here, Ken and I went for a walk
before we went to bed. When we went past their cottage we heard
Daddy yelling at her. Marty was yelling back and I could tell she
was crying, too. It sounded like they were arguing about money. I
could hardly look at them at breakfast the next
morning.”
    “I’m sure you were your
usual polite self, dear.”
    “Polite, yes but not
friendly. I was relieved when they left. I love him and was really
looking forward to his visit but I wish he had come
alone.”
    “Beth, have you thought
that maybe he was looking for your approval?”
    “My approval? When did I
become the parent?”
    “These things are very
complicated. Our emotions get all mixed up with our expectations.
Just hang in there. It will all sort itself out. Try to be patient
with him.”
    “I don’t know what to do
when he wants to come up again.”
    “I’m sure you and Ken will
figure it out, Beth.”
    “Mom, do you think you and
Daddy will get back together?”
    “No, Honey, it’s over for
us. Too much water under the bridge and all that, you
know?”
    “Yeah, I know. Part of me
would like things to go back how they were. But, I think you’re
happier now that he’s out of your life. Are you seeing anyone? I
mean, it’s none of my business, but—”
    “No, I’m not dating, yet.
But I probably will eventually. I’m just not ready to get involved
with anyone yet. I’m enjoying the freedom to do as I
please.”
    “Well, when you start
dating, find a guy like Ken. Then you can still do as you please.
He’s the best.”
    After we hung up, I found
the Facebook Home page and set up my account. Beth was right; it
only took a few minutes. I spent the next hour looking for people I
knew and sending out friends requests.
    I finally remembered to
call Nick. When I