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The front light was on.
Mom left the light burning every night becauseshe saidshe wanted people to know that they were welcome, but I’d heard her telling one of the neighbors she did it because she was worried someone from the trailer park might come and steal something from the lawn. I snorted and started toward the door. I couldn’t see Ethan caring much about any decorations she had out. Her flower pots and garden gnomes were safe.
When I opened the door, I blinked as the bright light from the lamps around the living room spilled out to greet me. Mom and Dad both turned from their spot on the couch to glare. Dread crept up my spine. Dad had his thick Bible out on the coffee table, the one he’d used to spank me until I was about ten. It had a hard back and all the words of Jesus were in red. There was a notepad in his lap, so he was probably brushing up his sermon for tomorrow, and Mom was knitting hats for babies at the hospital. I let out a long breath as I closed the door, and the sound of the latch catching was loud in the room. Mom pursed her lips so hard they nearly went white and tossed down her knitting needles.
“Thank Jesus Christ himself, you’re home! Where have you been?” She shot to her feet but didn’t come any closer, probably because she would’ve had to walk in front of Dad to do that, and he had his finger on the open Bible, shaking his head as he muttered. He quickly wrote something down on his notepad.
“Uh....” I glanced at Dad and had trouble swallowing. “I was helping late at the shelter.” I wanted to go right back out the front door. My voice was wobbly, darn it.
Dad finally tossed his pen on the coffee table and glared. “Oh, that’s funny.” He set the notepad on the table and stood, forcing Mom to lean around him to continue glaring at me. “Because I had an errand to run in the city and went to pick you up at the shelter. Linda hadn’t seen you at all today. Where were you?” He crossed his arms.
My hands wanted to be in my pockets, so I stuck them in there, then I wanted to yank them out again, so I did, and I felt like I was going to catch on fire. “Um.”
“Well?” Dad asked quietly, eyes narrowing.
My face heated and I wanted to cry. I hated this.
“What were you doing?” Dad thundered.
My entire body stiffened and any hint of happiness that had been left from kissing Ethan vanished. After a lifetime of telling the truth, I just couldn’t think of a single good lie. “I was on a date,” I whispered.
Mom gasped, and I wasn’t prepared for the smile that took over her face. She patted Dad’s arm. “All day?”
My face was still on fire as I shrugged and nodded.
“Oh, is she from our church?” Mom practically bounced on the spot, and her blonde hair slipped out of the bun a little on the right side, forcing her to shove it out of her face. “Was there something happening in the city today? Some sort of revival or something?”
Panic made it hard to think.
Dad harrumphed. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Mom tugged on his arm, and he frowned down at her. “They were probably too busy talking. Where were you?” She grinned.
“There was a festival. Some sort of pumpkin themed autumn thing. There were rides. I....”
Mom pouted at Dad, and he sighed.
Dad cleared his throat and some of the stiffness bled out of his body. He brushed a hand through his blond hair. “Of course, you’re at that age, but you really should’ve brought her here to meet us first.” He frowned at Mom, and she nodded along with him, the way she always did. “We don’t want you spending time with the wrong type of girl. But you can bring her tomorrow.” I was shocked as he actually gave me a small smile. “Mom is right to ask. Is it someone from the church?”
I shook my head.
Dad sighed and stared down at his Bible. “Well, that’s okay. Your mother is a fine example for any young lady. We’ll get her on the right path.”
Mom laughed and hugged him.
Guilt slithered through me, and my heart didn’t stop racing. Fear made it difficult to swallow. “I’m going to do my homework and go to bed,” I said, hoping that would be enough from me for the night.
Mom made a small sound, and I stopped halfway to the staircase. “What’s her name?”
My brain froze solid. It didn’t work at all. It was like I’d never heard a girl’s name before because I couldn’t think of even one.
Dad frowned. “Son? You lied to go out. She’s....” He groaned. “She isn’t one of those Italian girls from town, is she? Please tell me you didn’t go out with a Catholic girl.”
I opened my mouth.
“They’re all idol worshippers,” he said, shaking his head.
I cupped my hands over my face. I hated lying, and now I just had no idea what to say.
