Secrets in the Attic (Secrets 1)

I was actually a little proud of myself.

Somehow, I felt I had escaped telling an out-and-out terrible lie. As silly as it might sound to someone else, I felt Karen would be proud of me, and I was happy

about it.

"Good. Let's go get some pizza," he declared,

and we were off.

I felt guilty about having a good time with my

father at dinner while Karen sat upstairs in the

darkness trying to keep as quiet as she could. Of

course, she didn't have to worry until my mother or

we were home, but still, she had to eat leftovers and

had to eat by herself. I wondered how I could get to

see her. Since my mother would be on duty into the

evening and then sleep late in the morning, I would

have to leave the house for school before I could get

up to the attic. My first opportunity wouldn't be until

after school.

Daddy decided that at dinner, we would not talk

about Karen and what was going on, but he did talk

about what he now thought was my need to get myself

more involved with traditional school activities. "You need to make more friends. You could

join the chorus. You sing so well, Zipporah. I'm sure

they'll want you. And what about drama club? I was

in drama club, you know," he said, and told me about

the plays he had been in and the parts he had acted. I

had never known that.

It occurred to me that we get to know even the

people we love in little ways over a long period of

time. Just because someone is your father or your

mother doesn't mean you know everything about him

or her. Everyone reveals things about himself or