Page 127 of How We Began

“Yeah, I did.” Silence. “Did you?”

“Yeah, I think I may have.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know.”

“I need to talk to your dad.”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Why?”

“He might scare you off.”

I need to talk to my dad as well. After yesterday and today, I know I need to have a grown-up girl chat with my dad. The problem is that I find it really hard to act like a grown up around him.

(5.30 p.m.)

“Dad?” I poked my head around the door and found him staring at his wall-length wine rack. “Do you want me to help you with the wine for dinner?”

“Do you know anything about wine, Lilah?”

“Well, not exactly.”

I can uncork it and guzzle it, but that is as far as my knowledge goes.

“Would you like me to show you?”

“Yeah, okay.”

I followed him up and down as he turned some bottles. “You have to rotate them to stop sediment. Older bottles will always have some from how long they’ve been lying down.”

“Dad? Can I ask you a question?” I butted in.

“Yes, Lilah.”

“Why did you want me to work back at the bank over the summer?”

“Oh, Lilah. We don’t need to talk about that.”

“Actually, Dad, I think we do.”

Wow, brave Lilah. Go.

“Lilah, all I wanted to do was to give you the option to back out gracefully.”

“Dad, there was nothing graceful about that.” I tried to keep the derision out of my voice.

“I know, Lilah.” He had the good sense to sound contrite. “I just believed that if we encouraged you into a life like ours then we would not lose you.”

“Dad, you nearly lost me anyway because of it.”

“I see that now. It is not something I am proud of.” He looked a trifle ashamed.

“So why did you get so angry with me?”

Gosh, I was being brave.