Reporting In




We were too late for dinner, but I’d called to explain that the station was hosting the First Daughters and the First Sylph and if I left before Electra met them, she’d break my arm. Dad said I’d better play it safe. I hadn’t mentioned my pet being on camera.

So now I let Electra tell them all about the interview, start to finish. They sat paying rapt attention while I reheated a pork chop.

They were impressed with the questions she recalled, the conversation she relayed, and then they made her model the dress for them.

Mom asked what Amelia had worn. I was shocked to realize I hadn’t even noticed. Electra detailed the dress, the necklace and the shoes.

“We have to get shoes that go with that dress,” Dad said.

“A moral imperative,” Mom said.

“I saw a catalog…” I started to say.

“No, no,” Mom said. “Proper shoe shopping requires a trip to the store. There’s a sylph boutique in Boise.”

“Saturday?” Dad asked.

Electra was looking back and forth as this was decided. “I have…” she started to say.

“Yes, dear?” Mom asked. They waited patiently. She lost her nerve and twisted one foot on her toe for a second.

“She’s afraid to admit that she has some money set aside,” I said. They stared at me. “Her share of the babysitting money.”

“I said,” Dad said slowly, “That WE have to get her shoes.”

“A couple pair, really,” Mom said. “We should have thought of this before now.”

“And another dress,” Dad decided. “Now, if there’s anything ELSE at the store that you want to spend your money on, that’s up to you.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. Then she ran into the carrier to change again.

“Now,” Mom said, “have YOU saved up any of your babysitting money, Conrad?”

I turned to the carrier. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Electra.”

“None of that,” Mom said. We discussed my finances as I finished dinner.

Mark called with the details. TV 8 would broadcast clips of all the interviews on tomorrow’s evening news, running the full interviews on their ‘News In The Valley’ program at ten.

I thanked him and hung up. Then I put the phone handset next to Electra’s carrier and dialed. Electra was peering out at me when it stopped ringing. “Hello?” Chrissy’s voice called.

“Chrissy!” She squealed, dropping to her knees at the talk-into end. “I’m going to be on TV!”



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Index

25. I SAW!

27. Middle Name