Page 55 of Mr. Principal

I gave her a stiff smile and got back into the car.

“What’s wrong with Becca?” Meredith asked.

I sighed. “Honey, you know how much we love you, right? But sometimes adults just don’t get along—”

“No!” she screamed. “Don’t tell me you’re breaking up with Principal K!”

“What? No!”

She sighed. “That’s a relief. He’s a nice guy. A real keeper. That’s what Auntie Piper calls him. And plus, he’s your friend. You shouldn’t break up with your friend.”

“Well, I don’t plan to.”

“That would be a tragedy.”

I laughed at how dramatic she sounded. And then I remembered that I was trying to discuss a serious matter with her.

“Well, I know this will be hard for you to understand honey, and understand this has nothing to do with you, but Becca has decided that she wants to do something different in her life.”

“Oh? Is she going back to college? She should. She’s really smart.”

“Um… maybe, but by different, I mean I don’t think she wants to be married anymore.”

To my surprise, Meredith sighed deeply. “I’m not surprised,” she said in a rather adult tone. “Becca is like half his age! Danny already told me that his mom said it would never work out.”

I opened my mouth. Then closed it and then opened it again. “I got nothing,” I said.

“Mom, sometimes adults don’t get along and they part ways. It’s no one’s fault.”

Hadn’t I just told her that? “Well, that’s very mature of you, but if you feel sad and you want to talk about it, you just let me know, okay?”

She nodded and then said a few minutes later, “Does this mean I don’t get to see Becca anymore? I don’t think Daddy will let me see her since he’ll be mad at her, you know?”

“Well, I don’t know what your dad plans to do, but I know how much you love Becca and I know how much she loves you, so if you still want to spend time with her that’s perfectly fine with me.”

“I would like that,” she said softly. “She’s my friend.”

“I know she is, hon.” I reached for the note when I pulled up to a stoplight and scanned it quickly.

I handed it to Meredith.

“What’s this?”

“A note from Becca to you.”

She read the letter as we drove home.

“You okay?” I asked as we pulled up to the house.

She nodded, and I went to the back to help her out of her car seat. She got out without a word and I sensed that all wasn’t well. I sighed. I hated Tom for all Meredith had gone through.

“What would you like for dinner?” I asked, trying to keep things normal.

She didn’t answer, instead, she ran to me and wrapped her arms around me and cried. I held her and stroked her hair.

“It’s okay, hon. I promise you, everything will be fine.” I hated the pain that Tom and Becca’s break up was already causing her. “I promise you, hon, that no matter what, everything will be okay. I love you.”

She sniffled, gave me a watery smile and said, “I love you too, Mom.”

I would do anything to protect Meredith, but I knew as she held me tightly and continued to cry that some pain I couldn’t spare her. And with tears in my eyes, I promised to myself that I would do anything in my power to never make her cry.