“There is an explanation.”
“No, Margareta.”
Dad looked directly at me for the first time.
“Your mother asked me to be disciplined.S, I became rigid.”
His voice was low.
“At first, I was only supposed to put aside an agreed amount. Then I started believing that every unnecessary expense was a failure.”
He rubbed his hands together.
“And sometimes I went too far.”
Mom smiled sadly.
“We bought the coat two weeks later.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Don’t you remember?”
I remembered vaguely.
But in the mind of a twelve-year-old, all that had remained was the evening when Dad had said no.
“Robert was waiting for the winter bonus,” she continued. “He knew we were going to receive an employee discount at the factory. We paid almost half.”
