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way he saw it.
    Me? I saw the collision course falling into place. I would try and try in years to come to ward off the crashes. The DSS cleared Dan of abuse charges. When Dan asked the officer what he would have done under identical circumstances, the man had smiled tightly and said. “I’d have done the same thing. Only I wouldn’t have left any evidence on her.”
    Personally, I don’t think physical punishment, beyond token spankings, accomplishes much. Add to that troubled temperaments, and it can tally up to big trouble as the child enters the adult world. But then, who has all the right answers?
    How can a parent harness the stampeding, raging force of a mutinous child?
    How must a parent save an offspring from their own self?
    What works for some can be disaster for others.
    So from that day, I put much effort into keeping peace in our home. It would become my great mission in life.

    That Christmas, our clan met at Lexie’s house. I held my breath because of Lexie’s daughter Chloe’s territorial
stance when Faith dared enter her domain. Faith and Jensen, now teenagers, were tighter than ever. Jensen was a high school senior and Faith a junior. Freshman Chloe struggled desperately to outshine Faith at every opportunity, resorting to dirty tactics when the occasion arose. I knew on some gut level that jealousy of her big brother’s soul-mate status with Faith had a bearing on Chloe’s desperation.
    Perhaps Faith’s aura of self-assurance and confidence rattled Chloe’s rickety cage. Whatever it was, when Faith drew near, Chloe was wary as a cat in a room full of pit bulls.
    â€œNow Faith,” I took her by the arm before entering my sister’s elaborately decked out house. “Please behave. This is family time.”
    She gave me an innocuous look. “Who, me? Mama, I’m always sweet to Chloe.”
    I scowled at her blatant lie. “I’ve heard how you tease her mercilessly, Faith.”
    Faith stifled a laugh. “Jensen teases her, too.”
    â€œWhich is even worse, Faith. He’s her brother. You two need to be kinder to her. She’s younger and looks to you two for leadership.”
    â€œHey,” Faith muttered under her breath. “She asks for it. She is so stupid at times.”
    â€œFaith!” Her callous attitude shocked me.
    â€œJust kidding, for cryin’ out loud!” She laughed then. “But it is kinda true, y’know, Mama? She puts herself right out there, asking for it.”
    I had to concede that Chloe had become a real drama queen, adept at conjuring up calamity at the drop of a paper clip. I shook my head, appalled that Faith was drawing me into her distorted logic.

    â€œYou should never disparage someone because they’re skinny or have a big nose or ears that stick out. They can’t help what they’re born with — ”
    Lexie appeared at the door then, resplendent in green sequined sweater and black velvet slacks, “Come on in out of the cold, you guys. Merry Christmas!” We all hugged and I turned loose of Faith with an uneasy feeling in my gut. I was not particularly warmed by what I was learning of my daughter’s relationship philosophy.
    â€œLook at you two.” Lexie planted her hands on her hips and slanted us a bright-eyed approval. “I love that satin crimson blouse with those black velvet lounging slacks, Deede. Sexy. Faith, you’re gonna have to loan me that holiday vest and turtle neck. I love it!”
    â€œYeh, right.” Faith cackled, then snorted. “Hey! You’d get lost in this outfit and wouldn’t show up again before New Year’s.”
    Lexie’s hugely blinking crimson necklace and matching earrings, her customary touch of the ridiculous cracked me up. “You look cute,” I said truthfully, kissing her on the cheek. “Everything smells delicious.”
    â€œSam helps me,” she winked at me.