Sandra Dodd

It would be better if you'd been there, to see who was where as this
unfolded, but here's a moments-ago account of humor between teen
siblings and a mom. Me.

I heard Marty singing in a strong falsetto, and he was singing "Don't
Stop Believing." I was on my way upstairs anyway, so I called up
ahead of myself, "Holly, your voice is getting lower!" She said
"Yeah." I said (getting closer to her room) "And I like your falsetto."

By then I was in the hallway and could see Marty, who had turned and
was laughing silently because he knew I was actually telling him he
was sounding "like a leetle girl."
But he also knew Holly wasn't getting it, and she said "I wasn't
singing, that was Marty."

I knew that. Marty knew I knew. Holly was busy with MySpace and not
paying much attention to either of us, so Marty said (from the other
room; they couldn't see each other though I could see both of them),
"Holly, it's a good thing you're cute."

Holly said, "What?"

I leaned into Holly's room and said mock-seriously, "That was all a
joke, from the very beginning."

She looked up at me and blinked and said, "It's a good thing I'm cute."