“Sta—uuuuuuh—Barbara,” I said.
“One more time?”
“Steya-Barbara,” I said.“Barbara Steya.I’m.I’m in town to show my grandfather the sights before we put him in a home.”
“That’s always such a hard decision,” she said.“Listen, are you in town for long?”
“I think we just stopped to get some gas,” I said.
“Oh, hon, that’s a shame.This is the wrong place for it, I’ll tell you that.Old Smitty here hasn’t had fuel in stock since they switched to Ethanol down the road.Just not much market for it anymore, I’m afraid.”
“Is that right?”I asked.
“Yeah,” the woman said.She shook her head and tsked.“Oh.Totally skipped my mind.Barbara, this is my husband Stephen.My name’s Stephanie.These two little goblins are Stefan and Steffie.”
“Ohhhh,” I said.“Cute.”
“Right?”Stephanie asked, but it didn’t seem like a question.“We’re the Stevens.Old family joke, of course.”
“Very funny,” I said.
“Isn’t it?”Stephanie crinkled her nose as she asked as if she were twinkling.“Anyway.We’re not really from here, but we came here on our honeymoon and just fell in absolute love with the place.The whole town just has this charming energy to it.Isn’t that right, Stephen?”
“Absolutely,” he said, not looking up from his cellphone.
“I’ll tell you what.The best barbeque I’ve ever eaten was in this town, too.What was that place called we stayed at again, Stephen?”
“Uh,” he said, staring at his screen.He seemed distracted.“Hardesty House Bed and Breakfast.”
“Ohhhhh,” I said.And then, before I could stop myself: “We’re thinking about staying there ourselves.”
I wanted to slap my hands over my mouth immediately.
“Oh my goodness, what a coincidence!”Stephanie said.“Well.I won’t keep you here much longer.Who was that woman in the car with your grandfather?”
“My sister,” I said.
“I see,” she said.There was a scandalized tone to her voice.“Adopted?”
Maybe it was Nagi and the vets over by the radio; maybe it was all the times I had sat with Tamara, and we got ignored at a diner; maybe it was just years and years of watching my grandmother and grandfather tell jokes about people that looked different than us around the kitchen table; whatever it was, a steam engine roared to life in my chest, and I opened my mouth to give this woman the tongue-lashing of a lifetime.
And then I heard the bells to the convenience store door chime, and Vic and Eddie came around the corner of the van.
“Hey, hey,” Vic said.
“Hey,” I said, and the fire dimmed down again.
“You look a little tired,” Eddie said.“Why don’t you settle in the van.”
He gave me the twelve-pack of longnecks and practically shoved me in the passenger seat upfront.I fumed, staring out the front window for some time.After a little bit, he and Stephanie parted ways.I watched them drive away, mentally cursing the stupid Stevens out as they drove away.
“No gas,” Vic said, hopping in the driver’s seat.“The pumps here are purely ornamental.”
I couldn’t say anything.
“Listen, I know you’re upset, but it’s Mercury Retrograde,” Vic said, voice soft.
“I’m just flattered to be considered your sister,” Nagi said.“I did so worry about the effect of this outfit on my hips.”
