“I coated them in insect repellent.” I waved a hand, dismissing her attempted point. “Organic and plant-based.”
“Scoot over,” she ordered.
“No,” I said refusing to move from my spot.
I didn’t like the way her eyes narrowed. When she took on that look, she usually had something up her sleeve. I decided to ignore it, too tired to even entertain her.
“I didn’t come here to make idle chit chat,” she said, cutting to the chase. “I instructed the kids to pack their things. Your mother is working on yours. Grammy Eunice is helping.”
I purposely blinked hard enough to make her come in and out in black and white techno color. “Did I fall asleep and miss some of the conversation?”
“You didn’t miss the conversation, but youaremissing out on something.”
“Violet,” I warned.
“You don’t scare me, Scarlett. It’s too late for you to ditch me as a friend. We’ve been through too much, and now we’re sisters. Therefore, I can say whatever the hell I please. If you get mad?” She shrugged. “You’ll get glad.”
I stuck my chin up. “I don’t have time for this. I need to check on my—”
She shoved me back down on the chair. I landed with anoomph!Where the hell was Guido the enforcer? Oh, standing by the oak with a grin on his face. He had no problem shoving food down my throat, but this?Thisapparently entertained him.
“You don’t need to check on the kids. They’re fine. In fact, more than fine. They’re excited about the trip.”
“Whattrip, Violet? And where do you get off telling my children that we’re going on one?” I snatched the book from the ground and flung it at her. She dodged, stared at it for a moment, and then stuck it in her back pocket.
“Seems like a good read,” she muttered. Then she turned back to me, ready to fight. “We’re going to Austin. That’s inTexas.”
My eyes narrowed even further at her sarcastic remark, and she grinned, further irritating me.
“Mitch’s riding his bike there with some of his ‘club buddies’—” she made the air signs to go with the words “—and I thought it would be fun for us to take the kids. I’ve never been.”
“I have,” I snapped. “I’m not going.”
“You are!”
“You have an army ready to take me?”
Guido moved, coming to stand between us. He turned his back on me.
“This trip is not happening,” he said.
We both ignored him and leaned around his bulk.
Violet pointed a finger at me. “You’re wasting away! You’ve never been the kind of mother to rest on the job. You’re the type to spend real quality time—you do things with them, real amazing things that they love! You’re—” she lifted a hand, stumbling over words “—you’re just here, Scarlett. Existing like a lazy fucking Venus fly trap plant! Have you looked in a mirror lately? No, I didn’t think so. You’d scareyourself! Your children almost lost their mother. Their motherandtheir father!”
She went to lunge around Guido, but he sidestepped her attempts. I stood, ready for whatever she was going to bring. I didn’t need to be reminded of the second letter my husband wroteto whom it may concernwhile his wife came close to death, and he prepared to meet her once she went.
I couldn’t unsee his words to Uncle Tito, nor would my heart ever be able to unread the words he left to our children. What was signed in lifeblood was permanent.
“Shut UP, Violet! I don’t need to hear—”
“I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!” she shouted loud enough that a swarm of bugs twirled in a frenzy, moving in the opposite direction. “Youwilllisten to me!”
“Iwillnot!”
“Fine,” she seethed. She lifted her hands, proving to Guido that she was under control, and he released her. She glared at me for a second before she turned to go.
Sighing, I turned to pick up the book, remembering too late that she had taken—no, I corrected, stolen—my book. If we were friends, borrowed. But we were no such thing. Tomorrow, maybe, but then? I wanted to slap the headband off her head.
