“I invited them to come spend Christmas with us, to meet their only grandchild.” Jengavea small sniff. Jacque could tell Jen was trying to hold back the tears. Jen hated crying.It was one of those things that made her feel out of control, and Jen loathed that feeling.
When it was apparent Jen wasn’t going to offer more information without them pulling it out like stubborn molars, Jacque said, “I’m guessing their answer was no?”
Jen laughed, but there was not an ounce of humor in it. “Their answer was, ‘Nowyou want us to know our grandchild? The one you had over a year ago and haven’t so much as sent us a picture?’”
“Oh,” said Jacque.
“I, of course, told them we’d been too damn busy saving the world for me to have time to take pictures of my own child, let alone send them some 5” x8”s.”
“You didn’t.” Sally’s eyes widened.
“No,” Jen answered. “I didn’t. But I sure as hell wanted to. Instead, I apologized. But, as usual, that was not good enough for dear ol’ mom. She had to go on and on about how uncaring I was, how I only thought about myself. The woman had the nerve to ask ifthat boy, as if Decebel wasn’t a freaking man, had at least made an honest woman out of me.” Jen hastily wiped the tears she’d been unsuccessfully trying to keep from falling. “She might as well have asked if I was giving him the milk without making him buy the freaking cow.”
“I’m sorry, Jen.” Jacque squeezed her friend’s hand. She could feel the pain radiating up through their unique bond. It hurt. “Why is Decebel not in herelosing it?”
“I may or may not have told him I started my period, needed some space, and failed to mention that I’d called my parents.” Jen glanced around the room as she pressed her lips together.
“So, youdefinitelytold him you started your period and didn’t tell him you called your parents,” Sally clarified.
“Yep.” Jen nodded and pointed at Sally. “That.”
“And because he’s a dude, he totally didn’t want to touch the whole period thing with a ten-foot pole?” Jacque asked.
“Actually, Dec isn’t terribly bothered by it. He even asked if I needed, and I quote, ‘any of the girlie products that helped with the mess.’”
“No, he didn’t,” Jacque said around her laughter.
“Totally did.”
“Costin is the same way. He’s all like, ‘Here’s a heating pad. Do you want me to rub your stomach? Do you need me to get you a tampon? Would it help if we made love?’”
Jacque rolled her eyes.“Always circles back to that.”
“It’s the solution to every problem,in their minds,” Jen added.
“If he knew your parents had been jackasses, his answer probably would have been to try and seduce you.” Sally grabbed an apple that was sitting in a bowl on the island. She took a bite,and the loud crunch filled the empty kitchen.
Jen snorted. “If he’s breathing, then he’s trying to get in my pants.”
Jacque pushed away from the counter. “So, what did you tell your parents?”
“I remained calm, surprisingly. I toldMom the invitation was open, and Decebel even had a plane we could send so they wouldn’t have to fly commercial. Then she made a snide comment about how I had obviously had the resources all this time to see them whenever I wanted. Therefore, I must have deliberately made the choice not to. I bit my tongue again and asked if they’d come. She said they had other plans, told me she loved me, and hoped to meet her granddaughter one day soon. She wouldn’t even use Thia’s name.” Jen pinched the bridge of her nose and then smoothed her fingers across her forehead. “We’re trying to keep them from becoming doormats to the Order, and she thinks I’m being a selfish brat. Which I could have called them, but I’ve avoided it because of this kind of crap. It always turns into a catfight with her. And frankly, I’m just tired of trying to please her and always failing.”
Jacque and Sally glanced at one another. They weren’t strangers to Jen’s battles with her parents. Jen couldn’t seem to make them happy. Jacque knew they loved her, but they hadexpectations that Jen had never been interested in meeting. She’d always had her own idea of what her life would be, regardless of what anyone, including her parents, thought. She’d decided at some point in high school she wouldn’t keep beating a dead horse. So, she and her parents had lots of fights and Jen spent many nights at Jacque’s house eating Oreos and drinking hot chocolate while she lamented the fact her parents didn’t understand her and didn’t care to try.
“Will you tell Decebel eventually?” Sally asked.
“Yes, but I don’t want to worry him. He’s already worried about me because I’m going a little overboard with this whole celebration thing.”
“A little?” Jacque cracked a smile.
Jen shrugged. “Why do anything if you’re just going to half-ass it?”
“There’s the Jennifer we know and love,” Sally held her hand up to her friend, which Jen highfived.
“Damn straight.” She took a deep breath and then let it out. “Enough girly, bonding crap. We’vegot work to do.”
“Are we really going to have a girls’ night and corrupt poor Zara?” Jacque asked as they started walking.
