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He came out of his house to meet me in my car when I drove up. I told him what I had done when I arrived at the psychiatric hospital.

"And she believed you? You're so much younger than your mother," he remarked.

"She never doubted it." He laughed.

"I guess you are good."

"It helped me go in and up to my mother's room, but it didn't do me any good when I was with her. There are some things you can't pretend away." I told him.

He nodded.

"What about your father?"

I described the conversation,

"Maybe he just had to go to the meeting," he said.

"Maybe. Would you?" I quickly asked.

"I don't know. I guess I would like to get out of it. People should understand why and excuse him." "Exactly," I said.

"Well, what are you going to do?" "I don't know," I said.

"Miss Hamilton pulled me aside at the end of the day today. I was on my way out of the building. She wanted to talk about you. She said. 'I know you and Cinnamon are close friends.'"

He looked at me.

"I guess we are," he said.

"Of course we are-- so? What did she want? To tell you how she'll be there for me or something?"

"No, she wanted me to try to talk you into going out for the play. She said you'd need something like being in a play more now."

"I'm already in a play," I said.

"What? Where?"

"At home. It's called, A Happy Fmnily," I said.

Clarence laughed.

I started the engine.

"I'd better get home." I said. "I haven't even begun any homework vet and who knows?

Grandmother Beverly might have moved my room into the pantry or something by now."

He shook his head and opened the door. For a moment he just looked at me as if he were making a big decision. Then he leaned over and kissed me an the left cheek.

"Good night," he said quickly. I touched my cheek.

Even that. I thought, even a kiss was a ritual for him and had to be done from left to right.

I laughed.

It was the only laugh I had had all day.

4 A Father's Lies