Olivia (Logan 5)

make me feel better or superior. It put a rock of

sadness into the bottom of my stomach.

Belinda sulked as we trekked over the beach

toward the car. The music followed us along with the

laughter.

"I'm not going to be around all the time to save

you from yourself, Belinda," I told her when we

reached the car.

"Good," she fired back.

She was fuming all the way home. After we

entered the house, she marched up the stairs and

slammed the door to her room. Daddy came out. "She all right?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. I decided not to give him any of

the gritty details. He didn't seem to want to hear them

anyway.

"Thank you, Olivia," he said. "You're the

strength, the steel spine of this family. You always

will be," he added with a nod. It was as if he had

declared me heir to his throne, whether I wanted it or

not.

It was who I was to be.

I fell asleep dreaming about that sleeping bag

we had left empty on the beach.

3

A Wolf in

Sheep's Clothing

.

For a while I thought Belinda wouldn't attend

the finishing school or that Daddy would give in to her and postpone it until the fall. A few times, he tottered on the brink of caving in to her pleas. She tried desperately to get him to do so, moaning and groaning about not having the summer free to enjoy with her friends.

When Daddy vacillated, I helped prop him up again.