“How are you doing?” Marion asked again. It was not just a passing question. Shereallywanted to know.
Sassyreallydidn’t want to tell her. She kept her gaze on the elevator buttons. “I’m fine. How are you?”
The elevator chugged past the second floor. Only three more to go.
Marion frowned at her. “What’s going on, Sassy?”
She forced a laugh as they left the third floor behind. “Nothing! Everything’s cool. I’m just, you know, getting by. Getting used to being an orphan and all that.”
At last, the fifth floor. Sassy practically tumbled out the door.
“Sassy, I—”
She couldn’t stand it. She thought she might explode from all the tension inside, so she wheeled on her friend. “Let it go, Marion. I’m fine, okay? Don’t flip your wig. I’ve been busy, that’s all.”
She bugged out down the hall, aware that Mr. Snoop’s door had clicked open. Sassy wanted to die. He was listening. Probably the whole floor was listening. All she needed now was for the other neighbours to come out and ask what was going on.
“Sassy,” Marion said behind her.
Sassy kept her gaze straight ahead and aimed for her door. No way would she let Marion see the tears streaming down her face. She pulled out her key as she approached, opened the door, and stepped inside… But she couldn’t close it over Marion’s planted boot. Reluctantly, she met her friend’s furious gaze.
“What is happening?”
Sassy closed her eyes. “I… I can’t talk to you, Marion.”
“What? Why? What did I do? And why are you crying?”
“You didn’t do anything.” Her face burned. “I just don’t know what to say to you.”
Marion’s jaw dropped. “You aren’t talking about the other day, are you? What the lawyer read? No. You can’t have been thinking about that all this time.” Her lips tightened. “Step aside. I’m coming in.”
Before she could object, Marion strode past her into Sassy’s living room and spun around to face her.
“Do you want wine?” Sassy asked, walking directly to the kitchen. She kept her gaze anywhere but at Marion, who looked pissed. She’d never seen Marion pissed before. She was pretty intimidating that way.
“I don’t know. Will we need wine?”
“I’m getting two glasses.”
She poured, and when she returned to the living room, Marion was inspecting one of her paintings, hands behind her back. She didn’t turn around. She was forcing Sassy to start the conversation, and Sassy had to admit, that was only fair.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Marion faced her, but she wasn’t smiling.
Sassy held out her full glass, her face warm with shame. Marion glared into Sassy’s eyes and made no move to take it.
“I really am sorry,” Sassy said. “I’ve been acting like an idiot. I’ve been afraid to talk with you about what happened.”
Marion’s eyes narrowed. “So I was right. You’ve been hiding from me.”
“Yes.”
Marion accepted the glass and took a long drink, never looking away. “Why?”
“I’m so embarrassed, Marion. Everyone was going on about what a great man my father was, when all the while it was reallyyourfather. I bragged in front of you, and I probably said mean things without meaning to, and it all came back to hit me in the face. I just… I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how to talk with you about it.”
Marion sipped again. “First, why on earth would you be embarrassed? This has nothing to do with you and me. I mean, yes, we heard some surprising things—you could have knocked me right over when I learned about my father. All my life, I’d never known. Just like you.”
