Red Dress Club Meme: The Red Haired Step Child

This week's meme from the Red Dress Club was a doozy: "Hemingway was famous for his super sparse writing. He used almost only dialogue in many of his works. Write a piece in which you use ONLY dialogue." Here's my attempt. Please feel free to comment!

The Red Haired Step Child

            “Say something,” I said.

            “I don’t know what to say. I’m so embarrassed,” he answered.

            “Why? It wasn’t your fault.”

           

            “Then whose fault was it?”

           

            “Why does it have to be someone’s fault? Maybe it’s just something that happened.”

            “It didn’t just happen. I promised Zach I’d take care of his goldfish while he was at camp and now it’s dead.”

            “Did you feed him?”

            “Yes. I followed Zach’s instructions to the letter. I fed him, cleaned the aquarium, and checked the filter. But there he is, lying at the top of the water.”

            “Maybe you could just replace it.”

            “Replace it? That’s lying.”

           

            “I suppose. But it’s not a cat or a dog that he cuddles with. I can’t imagine he’d be able to tell the difference.”

            “That isn’t the point Sarah. It’s hard enough being ten years old and getting used to a new step dad. Being dishonest with the boy isn’t going to help us get any closer. I know I’ll never really be his father, but I’d like him to know I really care about him.”

            “Well, we’re almost to the camp. You have to figure out what you’re going to tell him.”

            “I know. I know,” Dave muttered as we pulled the car down the gravel road that lead to Camp Squanto.

            “There he is,” I said pointing to my skinny red-haired son.

            “Mom! Dave!” he yelled as we got out of the car.

            “Hi Sweetie,” I said giving him a huge hug. He had been away a week. It was the longest we had ever been apart. “I really missed you.”

            “I missed you too Mom. Can you make spaghetti for dinner? The food here wasn’t as good as yours.”

            “Of course! Did you have fun?”

            “Oh yeah. We went canoeing and horseback riding and hiking. It was awesome! Oh! And the best part! We got to use a bow and arrow!”

            “That was always my favorite part of Boy Scout camp too,” said Dave.

            “Really?”

            “Yeah! I even won a contest. How’s Norbert?”

            “Zach, I have to be honest with you,” Dave began.

            “Oh, man! He didn’t die again did he?”

            “Again? He’s died before?”

            “Yeah, my dad can never keep him alive either. He usually just gets me a new goldfish before I get home from camp.”