The chair will be empty

DH walked her, with 8yo head hung low, out to the room where I was working . He warned me, "You're not going to be happy with what she is about to tell you." Then, he tapped LG on the shoulder and said, "Go show her what you did." She walked slowly to where I was and revealed to me her toes. Then she said, "I colored my toes with permanent marker."


Now, I have to tell you I may not have bellowed all three of her names if I had not JUST taken her three days prior for a pedicure. I probably wouldn't have said, "WHAT were you thinking!?!" with quite the same fervor either. I definitely wouldn't have been as miffed if we hadn't JUST had the conversation about not coloring your fingernails and toes with marker four days prior to the offense.


But, I said it, "First. Middle. Last. WHAT were you thinking!?!"


She stood there staring at me. Unable to answer. Remorseful. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Then I reminded her what I paid for the pedicure that she chose to color over. I told her I was disappointed. I told her that her pedicure days have ended for now and that we would have to get nail polish remover and remove all color from her toes.

Admittedly as we hunted down the nail polish remover and cotton balls, I grilled a little bit more. I asked, "While coloring TEN toes with marker...over the cute little decoration that the nail tech painted on there...it never occurred to you that Dad or I "might" be upset that you did this??" She answered quietly, "No." I could feel another rant coming on. "No!?!?!? You have GOT to be kidding me!" Followed by, "If I gave you $25 in cash, would you just color all over it with marker?" Another quiet "No" was her reply. I'm sure I asked at least 25 times, "WHY would you color your toes with markers?" And all 25 times she told me she didn't know.

I know it wasn't the end of the world. Heck she hasn't even really done much "wrong" since she moved in last October! Still, she had to know that when we draw a line (like no nail coloring with markers), we are serious. She also needed to know that we were disappointed and that her actions have a consequence.

After removing the marker AND the underlying nail polish, I told her she needed to go apologize to DH because he, after all, is the one who TOLD her last week not to do it. She did. They snuggled. It was tender. Then, she and I started the bedtime routine where we snuggle together and pray. The prayer we prayed was one of thanks and forgiveness. It was one that reminded her that even when we mess up...there is love.

I'll be honest. As I left her room I thought, "This IS something I know we'll tell in years to come when we are doing the "Remember when..." stories." And we'll ALL laugh together. Until then, I took a moment and laughed on my own.

Then I wondered just how lonely I'd be the next time I'm sitting in the pedicure chair without her by my side! And I realized there was more than one remorseful female in our house that evening.