Chapter Twenty-Three
Mia
“I think my sunflower looks like a jellyfish instead. Maybe I should just paint the background blue instead of that sunset we did.” My sister stared at her painting, paintbrush end in her mouth. Truly thinking hard about her choices.
Mom was just doing her own thing next to Gia. What had started out as a sunflower turned into a painting worthy of Easter Sunday with a cross, purple ribbons, and the sun shining down on both cross and flower. Neither one of them had followed what the instructor told us to do.
I looked over my own painting. I did as instructed, and really, it wasn’t that bad.
The best part of painting though had been how my mind went completely blank, focusing only on each stroke of the many brushes. It was nice, joking and having fun with my family. I’d missed this, and I’d missed painting. The more I added color and depth to my canvas, the more I thought about when I could do this at home. I’d have to buy new art supplies since Wallace had gotten rid of my old stuff, but that wouldn’t be an issue.
“So, Mia, where is Logan? I figured, even though it was a girls’ night, that he’d drop in to check on you,” Gia asked casually, like she hadn’t been chomping at the bit to bring up Logan.
Mom’s head seemed to turn our way, listening more intently while continuing the day Jesus rose on her canvas.
“He had to fly to Utah. His dad passed away.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry. That’s got to be awful. Poor Logan.” She stopped painting to look at me with sadness lingering in that gaze.
“He’s okay. Really calm about it, at least the few times we’ve talked on the phone.”
Logan hadn’t been very forthcoming about what all he was going through, but he was life coach Logan. I was sure, if he had any issues, he’d sort them out.
“So, you two just talk via phone until he’s back?” Gia inquired, not ready to give up the Logan topic yet.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Gia, just ask your sister if she’s slept with Logan or not. I could die before hearing how things are progressing if you keep beating around the bush like this.”
This was not happening.
“Don’t give us that look. You’re an adult, Mia. You were married for years. We can talk about sex.” Gia rolled her eyes.
I wanted to cover my reddening face with paint; maybe I’d blend in with the painting.
Mom nodded her agreement with my sister.
“We haven’t had sex or touched besides kissing.”
Maybe they’d leave me alone after I admitted part of the truth.
Mom’s eyes widened, and she finally stopped painting to face me with an elated expression.
“I knew he would kiss you. How could he not? It was Nonna’s blessing she bestowed on him. Lifted the veils from his eyes, and he has decided to love you. I knew it. Told you, Gia.” Mom looked so proud of herself for whatever voodoo she thought happened here.
“Um, there’s no love. We like each other, and there might be some bedroom action soon, but I’m not ready for anything more than that. I don’t think he is either,” I spoke my peace, but neither Mom nor Gia took my words seriously.
They looked at each other like I was nuts, and went back to painting and then sipping their wine. The conversation was over. They’d gotten what they wanted from me, but my mind was still rolling over everything.
After five minutes, Gia announced that she and Laurent were going on a cruise with the kids in a month, right before school started up again. The laughs and fun flowed once again, no more talks of Logan and my, well, whatever we’d had.
Gia was completely toasted after drinking half the bottle of wine on her own, so the ride back to drop her and Mom off was fun. It was like being part of a bachelorette party. Both women were talking about sex with their men.
Yeah. Ew.
How babies ruined your body, like Gia needing to pee all the time, or how her boobs looked like deflated balloons. Mom agreed and narrowed her eyes at me, cursing me in Italian for tearing her when I’d made my entrance into the word. Like I did the act on purpose.
“Sorry my ass was fat, even then,” I yelled back at her through the open moon roof that Gia and I were hanging half out of.
We pulled up to Mom’s house first. She hugged us both and made me promise to keep this going between them. Agreeing was really no trouble at all because I’d had fun, even with the strange conversations we’d had. I could probably go without hearing all about Mom and Dad doing naughty things again.
