I was just a kid in grade school. Tensions between my mom and dad were high, and every night at dinner I wondered if they were splitting up.
They didn't talk about it in front of me—I could just feel it. The conventional wisdom in those days was not to tell your kids anything, in an effort to preserve their innocence and to protect them from the harsh realities of life.
This time, however, Mom broke her own rule. Dad had already left the table that summer evening, and she and I sat alone on the back porch with empty watermelon rinds and sweating lemonade glasses.I don't remember if I asked her what was going on, but I do remember her saying, "Laura, don't worry. I will never divorce your father."
