Page 40 of Doctor Daddy

Maybe going to graduate school wasn’t the worst idea?

I don’t know how long I was out on the deck looking up random things from MBA programs and job listings on my phone when Dad came out.

“Your mother is pretty upset. She wants to talk with you.”

More like she wanted to yell at me.

The look on her face said it all. She didn’t even have to open her mouth. I could predict exactly how this was going to go. It would start with a stare-down. The frown lines that framed her face pulled the corners of her mouth down further, making her look older.

I made a note to frown less and smile more. Hell, even resting bitch face with no expression would be better than those frown lines. I must have been a great disappointment to her.

As per her standard practice, at times like these, I was made aware of something after the fact.

“We were going to go to the lake and get the house in order. But now there isn’t enough time.”

There was plenty of time. Lake Lanier wasn’t that far away.

“But now, I guess we’ll have to go tomorrow and get everything done all at once.”

I wasn’t stopping them from heading out to the lake. They could still go for a few hours and get stuff done.

“My entire morning has been off-kilter since I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

And now I was expected to understand where my actions played a part in her distress.

I tried not to sigh. I felt like I was playing a part in a comedy of errors, or more realistically an ad-libbed melodrama. Mom was the victim, and I was the dastardly ne’er-do-well out to foil her plans. If only I had a moustache to twirl between my fingers and an evil cackle.

“You can still go to the lake,” I pointed out. I decided to embrace my part in this farce.

“No,” Mom sighed. “There isn’t enough time to get there, figure out everything that needs to be done, and…”

I stared at Dad, pleading with my eyes, to make her stop.

“Karen, we can go up and assess what needs to happen. It doesn’t need to be done all in one trip. I know you’re going to be running up there all week as it is.”

“But I could really use Brooke’s help. And if she’s too tired from staying out all night, how is that going to happen?”

And there it was. It was my fault entirely, and she had never once asked or even told me that she was going to need my help.

“I wasn’t out partying all night. I fell asleep on Angela’s couch watching TV. You could have told me you wanted my help with the lake house today.”

“You know your father is having some of his work colleagues out next weekend.”

“Is that next weekend?” I knew, but only because Mark told me, not because I had received any psychic messages from my mother.

She knew because she made the arrangements. She’s the one who put it together every year. I didn’t pay attention because I hadn’t been around much in the past six years, and before that, I was a kid who didn’t pay attention.

“Well, you could have called and let me know that’s what was happening, so I didn’t need to stay up all night worrying.”

“I fell asleep. If I was awake enough to call, I would have just come home. I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m sorry you worried.”

Mom dabbed at her eyes. I hated it when she cried. Especially when it was over stuff like this.

“Brooke, why don’t you go change? We can pick up some burgers on the way there. Karen, if you pack an overnight bag, we can stay tonight, and get started bright and early in the morning. How does that sound?” Dad suggested.

“Really? We won’t have any food for dinner there.”

“We can go out for dinner. Brooke can pull together enough from what we already have at home so we can have breakfast in the morning.”

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