“I guess,” Melissa said.
“Are you upset because you can’t date, or because you feel like there isn’t any reason why your parents have that rule?” Melissa and Fern both looked shocked.
“How did you know?” Melissa asked.
“Olive helped me figure it out,” Sophia said. “Fern, did you realize you never gave Melissa an actual reason why you didn’t want her to date Derek?”
“Well, I’m the parent. I don’t have to give her a reason,” Fern said defensively.
“That doesn’t seem like the wisest approach,” Sophia said as gently as she could.
“Are you challenging my parenting style?” Fern questioned.
“No, of course not. God gave Melissa to you, not me. He had a very specific reason for doing that,” Sophia explained as Fern’s shoulders softened out of their defensive state. “It’s just that, in the Bi
