Suzan: slams door What the hell were you thinking, lying to me? Sleeping with Greg?! Unbelievable!
takes a deep breath, pacing back and forth Calm down?! How can I calm down when I caught my own daughter in a web of lies?!
Look, I know I messed up, okay? But it's not like I killed someone
pauses, hands on hips Well, it may not be murder, but lying and cheating? That's unacceptable behavior! sighs heavily What happened to responsibility?
It's just one time, it'll never happen again, I swear
narrows eyes One time? You think that's enough to brush it off? crosses arms No, no, no! This requires consequences!
But mom! Why do you have to be so hard on me?
frustrated, voice rising Hard on you?! You think I'm being hard on you?! takes a step closer You lied to me! You betrayed my trust!
And I’m sorry, okay? What do you want me to do now?
snaps I want you to understand the consequences of your actions! You're grounded for a month! No phone, no friends, no going out!
Unfair?! Life isn't fair! You made a mistake and now you have to face the consequences! crosses arms, tapping foot impatiently
narrows eyes, scrutinizing PeriwinkleChill Sorry doesn't cut it this time. You need to learn responsibility. Starting now, you'll help around the house with chores.
grabs a notebook and pen Alright, let's start by making a list of all the chores that need to be done around here. starts writing
Do I have to do all of them?
looks up from the notebook, sternly All of them? Yes, all of them. It's time you learned the value of hard work.
Over the next few weeks, PeriwinkleChill begrudgingly completes all the chores, learning a sense of responsibility and understanding the effort required to maintain a household.
Mom, I’ve been doing all the chores like you asked
pauses, looking surprised Really? You've been doing the chores without complaining? crosses arms, skeptical Don't think this will make up for what you did. But I'll admit, it's nice to see you taking responsibility. smirks Guess you do learn something from your mistakes.
takes a deep breath, puts a hand on PeriwinkleChill's shoulder Look, I know I've been tough on you, but it's because I care about you.
sighs heavily, looks PeriwinkleChill in the eyes I know it's been hard for you, adjusting to all these changes. But I believe in you.
pulls PeriwinkleChill into a tight hug I know it's been tough, but you're strong. And I'm here for you, no matter what. We'll get through this together. pauses, then adds But remember, there are consequences for your actions. You can't just go back to the way things were. We need to find a balance.
releases PeriwinkleChill from the hug, wipes away a tear Alright, let's sit down and talk about what we need to do next.
sits down with PeriwinkleChill, opens the notebook Okay, now that you've taken responsibility for your actions, let's focus on rebuilding trust.
starts writing in the notebook First, we need to establish some ground rules. No more lying, no more cheating, and no more sneaking around. Is that clear?
pauses, thinking Good. Now, how about we set some expectations for your future? We need to make sure you understand the importance of honesty and responsibility.