“Okay then.”She gave in immediately, but didn’t give up.“How about you back off?”
“Red—” he began.
“Tack, let me,” she whispered.
He studied her.
Then he backed off.
She came closer to me and the brunette approached with her.
Mom got closer to my side.
When she did, that was when I wanted to cry.
We’d lost Dad three years ago and I, honest to God, to thatday, did not know how either of us had survived it.
But I knew there’d come a time, and I prayed it would be farin the future, when I’d face a world without my mother in it and I didn’t knowhow I’d manage it.
“Hey, Rosalie,” Tyra greeted like she’d just walked in.
“Tyra,” I replied.
She tipped her head toward the brunette.“You rememberLanie?”
Right, yes, I remembered then.Her name was Lanie and shewas Tyra’s best friend, now Hop’s old lady.
I checked out the other woman and noted again she wasincredibly beautiful and had my body structure, with more length and lessbreast tissue.
“Yeah, I saw you around the Compound,” I said, then gave hera “Hey.”
“Hi, Rosalie,” she responded on a small smile.“Nice toofficially meet you.”
I nodded and gestured to my side.“Did you guys meet mymom?”
“Yes,” Tyra answered.“We introduced ourselves when we camein.”
“Great,” I said, not meaning it, and that sounded in theword.
“I think I need to explain something to you,” she declared.
“I’m not sure you do,” I retorted.
Mom got closer and linked her pinkie with mine.
I held on tight.
Tyra kept talking like I hadn’t.
“They’re feeling this.”
Damn it.
Now I was getting mad.
“They are?”I asked sarcastically.
“They made you a promise and they didn’t keep it,” shepointed out.
