Swaddling for Teenagers

It's 10:15pm on Friday night. Lucy has just called from the Westlake v Austin High football game, and despite several texts to the contrary earlier this evening, she now needs a lift home.  I worked a crazy 12-hour shift and my feet hurt. I went from 630am to 2pm before I had lunch. Phil gave Lucy an early morning driving lesson at 7am, took Fred to preschool and waved Jess and Lucy off to school before putting in a good 8 hrs himself. Then he came home to release our babysitter and made dinner for us both. Yes of course. Where will you be? We're leaving now.

She calls again two minutes later. She is shouting over the crowd, because Westlake is winning and it's another 4th down in the last 5 minutes. Instead of meeting her at the Library car park, please could we go over to the People's Pharmacy parking lot, because her stuff  is in Hannah's car. This requires facing the main post-game traffic. Yes of course. See you in a few minutes. 


We don't ask: why can't Hannah drive you home herself, especially if all your school bags and rowing kit are in her car? We don't say, have you and Hannah have been arguing about something? or is Hannah is in trouble with her own parents and now needs to get home without a detour through Rollingwood? Or may be Hannah has been drinking and you don't want to get into her car. Does Hannah have a boyfriend? I have no idea.  "That's the car park by the dentist, isn't it? of course, we'll be right there."

Westlake won, 53-13. She comes in dragging her school and rowing bags. She looks amazing in very short denim shorts and a "Beat Austin" t-shirt and fashionable flat sandals. She buys all her own clothes, with allowance and baby sitting money. I realize I haven't seen her since 10pm last night. I also realize, a bit guiltily, that I'm not really sure who Hannah is. I think there are two Hannahs, one of whom rows, and wears big bows in her hair, and whom I've met, but the other....

 And she is hungry. Phil makes her a toasted cheese sandwich and, quite unnecessarily, slices her an apple. She pounces on my November Martha Stewart Living magazine. When questioned she reports glumly that she is likely to be bowing the 'B' quad instead of holding a "middle of the boat' position for the 'A'quad. I don't know how to respond to this, but gamble that it might be more fun to have a more responsible position in the 2nd boat. She is not convinced. Oh, and she has to take the PSAT tomorrow. Can we take her to the high school for 8am?

Yes, of course. What time do you think you will be finished?