Chapter 7

Angie sat at her desk and looked over the list of ideas Aunt Kit and Alice had given her over the phone. The plan was to talk her moms into doing Christmas-y things because somehow that would make them less likely to fight and remind them that they loved each other. Angie was unsure – it kinda seemed like it wouldn’t work. But it was worth a try. She would set the first part of the plan in motion at dinner.

When her mom set a plate of some kind of Japanese food in front of her, Angie resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose – she didn’t like fish – and made an effort to eat. She needed to be on her best behavior if she was going to get her parents to be open to doing the things on the list. She cleared her throat after Tina sat down at the other end of the table from Bette.

“Mom?”

Two pairs of eyes turned to Angie, who hadn’t specified who she was talking to on purpose.

“Yes, honey?” Tina asked.

“Um, I was wondering…” Angie trailed off and ate a deliberate forkful of vegetables while both of them were watching.

“Go on,” Bette said. “What were you wondering?”

“Can we go ice skating?”

Tina raised an eyebrow. “You’d want to do that?”

Angie nodded, trying not to wince as she shovelled fish into her mouth. “Uh huh… at Rockefeller Center.”

“When would you want to go?”

“Saturday. And then maybe we could get a tree and decorate it. Maybe decorate the whole house this weekend!”

Angie chewed more fish while she watched her moms exchange glances. Bette shrugged and said, “Okay, Ang. If you really want to go, I’ll take you ice skating. It’s going to be crowded, though.”

“We’ll go early!” Angie piped up. “I mean, we could go early. If that’s okay.”

“That’s fine. It will be fun.”

“And we’ll get a tree too, right Mommy?” Angie turned her head toward Tina.

“I don’t know if I can make it, sweetie.”

“Mommmmmyyy,” Angie wheedled. “You didn’t come to the parade with me. I want you to come skating and pick out the tree and decorate it with us. Like you used to.”