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“Mom, I can’t even get into this right now. I have plans, so I have to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have a date.”

She smirked. “When don’t you have a date?”

“Don’t be a hater because I get taken out on dates.” I pointed at her. “You’re just mad because your man doesn’t take you anywhere.”

“Hey! I heard that,” my father yelled from the kitchen.

Mom and I burst out laughing.

“Then take Mom out so she doesn’t have to live vicariously through me,” I responded, loud enough for him to hear me clearly.

“I take your mother out plenty,” he replied indignantly as he appeared in the doorway. “We just went to the movies not too long ago. Didn’t we, Diana?”

Mom and I looked at each other with shocked expressions on our faces.

“Michael, that was two months ago,” my mom pointed out calmly.

“No, Di, that was only a couple weeks ago,” he argued.

“It wasn’t,” Mom and I said in unison.

He looked perplexed. “Diana, we saw that comedy you wanted to see. The one with the actor you like.”

“That was at the beginning of June. It’s now the beginning of August,” she explained.

I put my hand over my mouth to contain my snickering.

He stared me down, only making me laugh harder. He folded his arms over his barrel chest. “Now why are you all in married people’s business anyway?”

“She’s making a good point though, darling,” Mom defended me with a light, musical giggle. “You haven’t taken me out in a while.”

“Did we or did we not go to church last Sunday?”

“That doesn’t count,” Mom and I said in unison.

“Of course the two of you would gang up on me. I’m going back to finish making my sandwich!” He swatted his hands at us. He started to turn around and then stopped. “Nina, do you need a few dollars? You said you were going out.”

I smiled. “I’m good, Dad, but thank you.”

“In case of an emergency,” Dad stipulated. He shifted his eyes to me, and a concerned look flashed across his face. “Do you need emergency money? Let me go get you something.”

“Dad!” I called out to his back as he made his way to his office.

He ignored me and I turned to my mother, who shrugged.

“You know how your father is,” she reasoned with a pleased smile. “He always makes sure his girls are good.”

“This is true.”

I glanced at the clock over the television and made a face. “Ihave to leave in the next few minutes if I’m going to make it on time.”

“Where are you going?” My mom eyed me suspiciously. “And with whom?”

“Going to a lecture. With The Smart One.”

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