Chapter 52

Samantha takes a bite of her food and chews thoughtfully. "You know, this whole conversation has got me thinking," she says. "My family never did anything like that when I was growing up. It was always very strict and regimented." Andrew looks at her, surprised. "Really?" he asks. "That's so different from my family. My parents were always trying to make things fun and teach us lessons in a creative way." Samantha nods. "It's interesting how different families can be, even when they're all good people," she says.

"I guess it just goes to show that there's no one right way to be a parent," Andrew says. "Different approaches work for different kids." "True," Samantha says. "I think both styles can be effective, as long as they're coming from a place of love." Andrew nods in agreement. "The important thing is that the kids know they're loved, no matter what," he says. Samantha smiles. "Exactly," she says. "That's the foundation for everything else." There's a moment of comfortable silenc