The Best Laid Plans . . .
"Meg, we need to talk to you about something," her father says.
Meg looks up from the magazine she's reading. "Sure, I guess." She's slightly puzzled by the look John and Deirdre Ford exchange before coming into the living room. "What's going on?" she asks.
"Nothing," says her mother. And then, after a slight pause, amends, "Well, we were talking to Kim." She pauses, clearly waiting for Meg to ask about her sister.
Meg doesn't.
"And," Deirdre continues, "she's going to come home to visit for a week in August."
"Oh," says Meg. She's not at all convinced anyone should still refer to this as Kim's home, but she gets the meaning. "I'm sure you'll be happy to have her here. Thank you for telling me."
"Meg," her father says, and then hesitates. "Is that really all you have to say?"
"Yes. I'll make arrangements to stay somewhere else that week. It shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure Carrie or Alain's aunt--"
"Meghan," says her mother.
Meg's shoulders tense. The use of her full name means nothing good is coming.
"You're not going to go away the week your sister is here. She's coming to see you, too."
"Yes, I am," Meg says, evenly. "I have nothing else to say to Kim. And if you want her to visit, I certainly won't do anything to hinder that. But--"
"Meghan, you're being ridiculous," her mother says.
"Dee," says her father, "maybe not now."
Meg's eyes narrow. She is not being ridiculous. She's trying to be rational and mature about a mess of a situation that never gets any less messy. If Kim and their parents want to spend time together, that's fine. It's their choice. Meg, however, will opt out. And suspects everyone will have a better time if she and Kim don't try to spend a week under the same roof, anyway.
"Yes, now," her mother says. "This has been going on for almost a year."
Meg, whose new approach to anything like this is to simply walk away from it, picks up her purse and heads for the door.
"Where are you going?" Deirdre asks.
"Out," says Meg.
"We're not done talking."
"Yes, we are," Meg says.
"Meghan--"
"It's Meg, Mom."
"You're acting like a child."
Meg pauses at the door. "No, I'm acting like Kim. Which is what the whole damn world has been telling me to do for nineteen years. Well, this is what acting like Kim looks like. I'm going out because it feels like what I need to do right now. And the fact that that's a remarkably useless non-explanation, well, at least there's a family precedent for it."
The door closes firmly behind her, cutting off her parents' objections.
Meg looks up from the magazine she's reading. "Sure, I guess." She's slightly puzzled by the look John and Deirdre Ford exchange before coming into the living room. "What's going on?" she asks.
"Nothing," says her mother. And then, after a slight pause, amends, "Well, we were talking to Kim." She pauses, clearly waiting for Meg to ask about her sister.
Meg doesn't.
"And," Deirdre continues, "she's going to come home to visit for a week in August."
"Oh," says Meg. She's not at all convinced anyone should still refer to this as Kim's home, but she gets the meaning. "I'm sure you'll be happy to have her here. Thank you for telling me."
"Meg," her father says, and then hesitates. "Is that really all you have to say?"
"Yes. I'll make arrangements to stay somewhere else that week. It shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure Carrie or Alain's aunt--"
"Meghan," says her mother.
Meg's shoulders tense. The use of her full name means nothing good is coming.
"You're not going to go away the week your sister is here. She's coming to see you, too."
"Yes, I am," Meg says, evenly. "I have nothing else to say to Kim. And if you want her to visit, I certainly won't do anything to hinder that. But--"
"Meghan, you're being ridiculous," her mother says.
"Dee," says her father, "maybe not now."
Meg's eyes narrow. She is not being ridiculous. She's trying to be rational and mature about a mess of a situation that never gets any less messy. If Kim and their parents want to spend time together, that's fine. It's their choice. Meg, however, will opt out. And suspects everyone will have a better time if she and Kim don't try to spend a week under the same roof, anyway.
"Yes, now," her mother says. "This has been going on for almost a year."
Meg, whose new approach to anything like this is to simply walk away from it, picks up her purse and heads for the door.
"Where are you going?" Deirdre asks.
"Out," says Meg.
"We're not done talking."
"Yes, we are," Meg says.
"Meghan--"
"It's Meg, Mom."
"You're acting like a child."
Meg pauses at the door. "No, I'm acting like Kim. Which is what the whole damn world has been telling me to do for nineteen years. Well, this is what acting like Kim looks like. I'm going out because it feels like what I need to do right now. And the fact that that's a remarkably useless non-explanation, well, at least there's a family precedent for it."
The door closes firmly behind her, cutting off her parents' objections.