Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what happened to you?”
Florence’s voice snapped like a whip as soon as she walked in the door to find Vivian hunched over the kitchen table, the top buttons of her sweater undone and her hair tied up as she gingerly peeled the bandages off her neck with her good hand.
Even though she was nearly certain that her sister was worried, not angry, Vivian stiffened. The same concern that had felt so comforting from Bea and her mother felt stifling from Florence, and Vivian jerked the scarf out of her hair, letting the bob swing down in a dark curtain to cover the injury.
“Tripped,” she said, shrugging. “Slipped in the rain.” She gestured at the washtub, where Hattie Wilson’s dresses were soaking in water that was getting muddier by the minute. “Made a mess of everything. Like I do every time, right?”
Florence looked as if she wanted to say something more. But instead she just sighed, closing her eyes and giving her temples a rub that made Vivian squirm with guilt. She hated worrying her sister. And she hated having to care that Florence was always worried.
“Do we have anything around for dinner?” Florence asked, dropping into a chair, her chin slumping into one hand. “Anything that doesn’t need cooking?”
Relieved that there wouldn’t be any more questions, Vivian shook her head, then let the motion continue, stretching out her neck and shoulders. “I can make soup or something. My day hasn’t been as busy as yours.”
Florence dropped her head further forward until her whole face rested in her hands. “Lucky you. Miss Ethel was a right cow today,” she mumbled.
“Flo!” Vivian stared at her soft-spoken sister in surprise. “What’d she do?”
Florence sighed. “Nothing, I guess. Just being her lovely self. I wish I could find a new job. But the only thing I know how to do is sew.”
Vivian bit her lip, wishing she had something more comforting to say. Awkwardly, she laid a hand on Florence’s shoulder. “We could try to find you a fella,” she said, attempting to sound cheerful. “You said you wanted to get married, after all.”
Florence looked up long enough to roll her eyes. “Real funny, Vivian. No one wants—” She broke off abruptly as a sharp knock echoed through the small room. “Is someone at the door?”
“Maybe it’s a husband,” Vivian joked, and they shared a tired snicker as she went to answer the door.
Her laughter choked off when she opened the door and found Leo smiling at her. “Hey there, sweetheart,” he said softly, looking genuinely pleased to see her. “I hoped I’d find you home.”
“Who is it?” Florence asked, and the curiosity in her voice made Vivian blush.
“No one,” she answered abruptly, stepping outside and pulling the door shut behind her before realizing what an awkward thing it was to do. That made her blush spread even more, and she could barely bring herself to look at Leo.
“Hiding me away, are you?” he asked, and she could hear the laughter in his voice.
That made her look up, scowling in embarrassment. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, of course. Thought I’d stop by and see if you want to go to the movies. They’ve got some swell choices playing at the Capitol this week.”
“I meant, what are you doing at my house? How did you know I live here?”
“Pestered Danny into telling me,” he said, still smiling. “Couldn’t wait any longer to see you, Vivian Kelly.”
He smiled with pride at having found out her last name, boyish and flirtatious and taunting, and Vivian wasn’t sure whether she wanted to wipe the smirk off his face or kiss him right there in the hallway. She settled for rolling her eyes.
“Well, congratulations on being so clever. But I can’t go out tonight. My sister’s beat from work, so I’m running out to get us some dinner. And I’ve got to be up early tomorrow. Maybe another time.”
She started to turn away, but he caught her hand. Gentle as the touch was, the suddenness of it made her remember being shoved into that alley. She flinched away before she realized what she was doing.
But Leo felt the motion, small as it was, and he dropped her hand immediately. “You okay?” he asked, his brows drawing together in concern.
“People keep asking me that,” Vivian snapped, clenching her hands into fists to keep from wrapping them around herself. Taking a deep breath, she found a smile and shook her head. “Your uncle might not care if you’re at work on time, but Flo and I can’t afford to oversleep and get fired. So good night, Leo.”
She was about to turn away when the sudden, quiet coldness of his voice dragged her to a halt. “Who did that, Vivian?”
“What?”
He reached out, the gentleness of his movement at odds with the fury on his face as he brushed a single finger against the side of her collarbone. “Who did that?”
Vivian glanced down, just barely able to see where he was pointing. She hadn’t buttoned her sweater back up before coming into the hall, and the collar had slipped to one side, revealing dark bruises speckled across the edge of her shoulder. They looked like fingerprints, and Vivian closed her eyes briefly, remembering her terror as Eddie grabbed her and shoved her against the alley wall.
