Tiffany was feeling mighty pleased with herself. After almost surviving on a Spartan 1,200 calorie diet for a month, she'd lost seventeen pounds and felt better about herself and the world than she had in a long time. It was amazing to her that by actually doing what all the doctors and gym teachers and other irritating adults in her life had been telling her for years--eat less and exercise more--that the weight really came off. It was awesome!
Standing in her bedroom at her aunt's house, Tiffany pulled on a new pair of blue jeans and was so happy when she was able to zip them up that she almost began to cry. She was going to go back to school in the fall as a brand new, thin, totally attractive person.
"Tiffany, we need to talk." Aunt Mavis barged into her room without knocking, as usual.
"About what?" Tiffany asked. She hadn't mentioned the seventeen pounds she'd lost to her aunt. She was waiting for Aunt Mavis to notice but she was starting to get the feeling that that might be like waiting for an elephant to notice a mosquito.
"We've never really had a discussion about your father, have we?"
"My what?" Tiffany asked. "My father? Why would you want to talk about him? You told me that he was in prison."
Aunt Mavis blushed a little. "I might have exaggerated a touch. What I meant was that he might as well be in prison--he's really not what you would call a success. He's, well, I suppose you could say he's middle management."
"Horrors!" Tiffany said sarcastically. "Next you'll be telling me that he's a Democrat."
"Probably," Aunt Mavis sighed. "Look, Tiffany, it's like this. He lives in Schuyler Square and he wants to see you."
Tiffany sat down on her canopy bed with a profound plop. She felt like Aunt Mavis had just come into her bedroom and dumped a load of rocks on top of her. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I think you should know him. It's the right thing to do."
Tiffany doubted that. Aunt Mavis rarely did anything because it was the right thing to do. "Am I supposed to go and live with him? Is that why you're suddenly planning a little introduction party?"
"Well, he is your father, Tiffany, and I'm only your aunt."
Tiffany was surprised at how hurt she felt by this latest display of rejection from Aunt Mavis. It was never like her aunt had been a warm and fuzzy type of person but Tiffany had always felt that she at least was a little bit welcome at Schuyler Manor. Not so much anymore. "When are we supposed to get together?"
"Tomorrow night. You're meeting at the club for dinner."
"Thanks for the warning!"
"Oh, Tiffany, don't be puerile. Don't you want to meet your own father?"
Tiffany saw that she really didn't have much of a choice. "I suppose so." Maybe her real dad looked like Harrison Ford and would be nice to her. Maybe he'd treat her better than Aunt Mavis was treating her.
"That's a good girl. And Tiffany, please don't talk about your mother too much. It might upset him."
"What am I supposed to talk about with him?"
Aunt Mavis shrugged as she swept out of the bedroom. "The weather is always a pleasant choice."
Tiffany sat in stunned silence after Aunt Mavis left. Her father? How the heck was she supposed to deal with this new development?
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