“That’s awesome! You’re on your way back.”
“Yeah, I don’t know. I hope so. We decided to go to couples therapy, too. So time will tell.”
I beckon her out of earshot of anyone else before I say in a whisper, “I’m happy things are going better with Todd, but your hair has a residue in it.”
Daphne puts her hand to her head and smiles.
“Right,” I say. “And it’s obvious. You must respect the dead in a funeral home. That’s the only reason a funeral home exists.”
“Oh, Olive. You’re so uptight.”
Daphne always was the rebellious one out of the three of us. It’s funny to think of now because she’s been locked up in her house, playing mother and housewife for so long, but she was the one who snuck Dad’s beer out of the cellar and got wasted on our roof. She was the one who got high on weekends freshman year and tried to cheat on a geometry test. She was the one who was sleeping with her boyfriend and got caught by his parents in their bed in the middle of the school day. She was smart and demanded a lot of herself academically, but she also loved to be a wild child.
I look at her with fresh eyes. “I think you’ve let the rebel go too much,” I say suddenly.
Her pretty blue eyes widen. “What?”
“You’re the rebel in our family, Daph. You always were. I think you put that part of yourself away when you got married and had kids, and now she’s locked up somewhere in the closet of your mind. You miss her, don’t you?”
Daphne’s mouth drops open. “Jesus. You’re right.”
“I think you should bring her out again. Not by drinking or getting high. But somehow, you need to reconnect with her. You’re dying inside without that part of you. Let your kids see who you are, Daphne. Don’t just show them a 1950s housewife. That’s not you.”
Daphne pulls me in for a hug. “You are so freaking smart, you know that? No wonder you make so much money.”
“I don’t make so much money. I make money. Will, on the other hand,” I say as I see him stride through the door, wearing a designer suit and sunglasses, “makes soooo much money. Look at what he’s wearing.”
“Did you have sex with him?” she asks as he waves at me and heads in our direction.
“You sound like Mom. And the answer is no. Not on your life.”
“Olivia.” Will leans down and kisses my cheek. “So sorry to meet you again under these circumstances.” He looks at Daphne through his shades. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we were formally introduced. I’m Will.”
“This is my sister, Daphne,” I say. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”
“I want to take you out,” Will says loudly as I try to walk away.
Daphne’s eyes flash to mine.
“No, thank you. I’m busy.”
“I didn’t mean tonight necessarily,” he says.
“I’m busy every night,” I say as Jenson approaches us.
He gives Will a hard look, and Will acts like Jenson doesn’t even exist.
“You can’t be busy every night,” Will says. “Your mom says you’re single and divorced.”
As if on cue, Mom comes over to our group. “Oh, hello Will,” she says pleasantly. “I see you and Olivia have found one another.”
I breathe out heavily. Jenson’s clenching his jaw, and his eyes have turned cold.
“Mom,” I say. “Please stay out of this. I told Will I’m busy.”
Sheldon, never one to miss anything interesting, strolls by with Cara. He stops on a dime as soon as he hears what I say to Mom, and then he shifts his gaze over to Will. When he sees Will wearing shades, even though we’re inside and it’s nighttime, Sheldon starts to laugh.
“What‘s so funny?” I say to him.
