"Mrs. Chu. Good evening."
Her lips drew back in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you for bringing Gina home."
Her words carried no inflection, but I wondered if she was being sarcastic.
Apparently, Gina read something in her mother's words because her face went sour. She came to stand at my side. "I'll call you when I think you're home."
I ignored the accusation in her eyes and touched her cheek. "Good."
The atmosphere was so tense I understood why Gina didn't want to be there. I winked at her and turned away, hoping she'd keep her cool and not make a bad situation worse.
It was clear she had no intention of listening to me because by the time I opened the Mark X, Gina and her mother were going at it. I hesitated, wondering if I should go back inside. Then I remembered her father was in the house. If he couldn't make the two of them act civil with each other, I didn't know who else could.
***
IWAS HALFWAY TO THEcottage when my phone rang. It was Gina.
"Kofi, please come and get me."
"What happened? You know that's not what we agreed."
"If you don't come and get me, I'll move to Garth's place or a hotel, without your help."
I pulled over to the side of the road. "Okay, give me a few minutes. I'm coming back."
"Thanks."
When I got to the house, Gina sat on the verandah with her suitcase standing beside her. Before I got out of the car, she extended the handle and wheeled her luggage toward me.
Gina was furious.
She glared at me and yanked the suitcase to a stop. "I just can't."
As she spoke, her nostrils trembled and she blinked hard a couple times.
Now wasn't the moment to question what had happened in the few minutes since I left, so I opened the passenger door. "Sit."
Pulling my shoulders back, I walked into the house.
Mr. and Mrs. Chu sat angled toward each other on the sofa. Gina's mother had both hands raised as if appealing to her husband. "You have to do something."
"What do you expect me to do? If you weren't so quick to judge—"
"Excuse me."
They faced me, and Mr. Chu moved as if to rise from the sofa.
"It's okay. You don't have to get up. I just wanted you to know Gina is with me."
"If you wanted to help, you wouldn't have come back," Mrs. Chu said.
"Rose—"
"Don't try and shut me up, Roy. He needs to hear this."
When she met my eyes, I stood with both hands in my pockets, waiting for what she'd say.
"You're the reason Regina is acting this way. I don't know what has gotten into her."
