“We’re back!” I recognize my father’s voice. Joan nearly jumps out of her skin.
“Amon, what do we do—?”
I lean close. “Stay calm and everything will be fine.”
Putting on my best fake smile, I spin around, pretending I’m glad to see them and like it’s not the worst time imaginable for them to be coming home.
Dad needs a shave, and Alicia looks like she’s spent too much time by the pool.
“Where is that daughter of mine?” she asks, setting her bags down. I can never tell with Alicia whether she’s happy or irritated. Is it possible to be both at the same time?
“In here.” Joan’s voice carries from the living room like a whisper on the wind.
Alicia’s cross necklace swings as she jogs over to her daughter and wraps her up in her arms. Joan’s face remains neutral as she timidly hugs back with one arm.
Her mom steps back, and even I can see the judgment in her eyes. I can only imagine how Joan feels at this moment. She notices the duster in her hand and takes it from her.
“What is this?”
“A duster,” I reply simply.
“I can see that,” she snaps, not even turning back to me. “What isshedoing with it?”
“Oh, she’s—”
“I’ve been doing some…housework while you two were in Florida,” Joan replies, causing me to grind my teeth. I told her not to say anything.
“What about the maid?” Dad asks, cocking his head and snapping his fingers as he tries to remember her name.
“She’s on leave. So Joan was nice enough to step in and take over for her.”
Finally, Alicia turns to face me. And she ispissed. Her sunburn does nothing to hide how red her cheeks are turning.
“Nice enough to step in?” she asks, throwing my words back at me. “Are you telling me you have my daughter working as your maid?”
It’s a struggle not to let myself smile. If only she knew what else I had her doing while she was away.
“I agreed to help…” Joan whispers, but Alicia doesn’t even hear her.
“You think you can tell her what to do?”
I’m starting to get pissed off now. Looking past Alicia, I can see Joan trembling, nervously fidgeting her fingers.
Keep your mouth shut, Amon. This isn’t the time.
But I just can’t stop myself.
“Sorry, didn’t you send Joan to a convent because you found a thong in her room while you were snooping?”
Alicia’s eyes go so wide I’m sure they’re going to fall out of her head. I hear my dad whisper something behind me—probably telling me to relax—but I can’t even hear him over Alicia’s screams that follow.
“Don’t youdarequestion the way I raise my daughter! Do you have children? Do you know what it’s like?”
If she was anyone else, she’d have another think coming right now. But she’s Joan’s mom, and I don’t want to start something that will send our family crumbling into destruction. So I keep my mouth shut and simply go to the kitchen and grab a beer.
I hear the sounds of her voice chattering like a chipmunk as she goes back to Joan, probably to scold her more for something that isn’t her fault. I’m seething inside as I open the fridge.
“Can I get one of those?” Dad asks. He’s giving me a look like he understands, but I can also tell he has something he wants to say.
