Certainly Sensible Read Free Page A

allowance.”
    Megan gasped. “What? Where am I supposed to go to school?” Caroline tried to put an arm around her sister, but Megan brushed her off.
    “You can finish out the school year at Willowby, but then you’ll have to go to public school next year,” Susan told her. “You and I already talked about Belford High School…”
    “Mom! Public school? You talked about it, but I didn’t think you were serious. Anyway, I can’t! Belford High’s art department sucks!”
    “Be honest, Megan,” Susan said. “You haven’t been doing very well at Willowby for the last couple of years. Except for the art classes.”
    “I haven’t been in any fights for months, and my grades are…”
    “Mostly Cs and Ds,” Caroline finished for her.
    Megan glared at her sister before turning back to her mother. “Willowby is the only school I’ve ever gone to!”
    “Yes, I know, but your dad stipulated in the divorce settlement that he would only pay the tuition if your grades and behavior improved.”
    “And you’re just now remembering that?” Megan cried.
    Caroline tried to stay calm despite her rising panic. “Dad can’t be serious. How does he expect us to manage a move so quickly? One month? That’s not nearly enough time to find a house, to—”
    “I called Emily.”
    Caroline nodded. “But even Emily can’t work miracles.”
    “Why now?” Megan demanded. “After all this time?”
    Caroline glanced at Megan, met her mother’s eyes, and knew the answer. “Sharlene?”
    Susan nodded.
    Megan glowered at both her mother and sister and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Caroline and Susan stood there in silence. Caroline tried to let their situation sink in, to absorb the reality of their predicament, but she noticed the tears in her mother’s eyes.
    “Mom, are you okay?”
    “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, but Megan?”
    Then Caroline slapped her forehead. “And Allie! Mom, we’ve got to call her.”
    “Absolutely not. If she fails her performance final because she’s too distracted…” Susan shook her head. “No, this bad news can wait till she comes home from school.” At that, Susan collapsed back down onto her bed, scattering pillows everywhere, turned the TV back on, and resumed staring at the ceiling.
    Caroline, confused about how to help her mother and sisters, recognized the familiar churning in her stomach. “I need an antacid.” She headed down the hall to her bedroom.

Chapter Two
    A week later, Susan had had a chance to regain her perspective and dignity, and had formulated a plan. She checked her look in the master bathroom’s full-length mirror, snatched up her comb for one last swipe at her short brown bob, and then did a complete turn for a final assessment. Dressed in a navy blue suit that fit snuggly on her tall, slim body, she outwardly looked like a professional woman. But inside she was a mass of insecurities.
    I’m a forty-six-year-old divorcee, interviewing for my first real job. She took a deep breath, adjusted her jacket, picked up her newly-acquired briefcase off the foot of the bed, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Megan was sitting at the breakfast table eating a bowl of cereal and reading a story in her English textbook. “What’s that, Megan? Homework?”
    Megan looked up from her breakfast. “Where are you going all dressed up like that?”
    “I’ve got a job interview in Indianapolis, so if you hurry I can drop you at school on my way. Unless you’d rather ride the bus?”
    Megan gave her mother that yeah-right look and went back to eating her cereal. “Hey, Caroline, can you drive me to school?”
    Susan turned around to see her oldest daughter taking some yogurt out of the refrigerator. Caroline was dressed in crisply starched jeans, an off-white linen blazer, and low-heeled sandals, her strawberry-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Caroline! I didn’t hear you come in.”
    “You look nice, Mom.” Caroline