It was the best complex in Phoenix.
Maybe not the most expensive.
But still the best.
(Part of our gasps was about him being a dick to Martha as well, it’s important to note, but since we all knew Martha could dish it out and take it, it was mostly his dis of Oasis Square.)
“Wrong again,” Martha fired back. “I was married for years to the best man on this planet. Unfortunately, most of those years he was battling cancer. Fortunately, he was a goddamned warrior with that, and he stuck around long enough to help me raise our three boys and do it right. After we succeeded in that magnificent achievement, he left us all, even if his love didn’t, and his memory never will.”
She had him in her thrall with all of that, so she edged closer to Roy and lowered the boom.
“Now, all my boys are married. And I can’t say I like any of the women they chose very much, though I know on some level I don’t because I know to the depths of my soul no woman would be good enough for any of my boys. That doesn’t mean in reality that’s true. It’s just a parent’s prerogative to think that way. But I put up with them because my sons love them and they make my boys happy. That’s my job. I might be mildly crotchety about it sometimes…”
Raye snorted.
Martha spoke through it, “…but I’d cut off my own arm before I let one of my boys down like you did your daughter today. Far’s I can tell, as parents, we got three jobs. Give ’em life, raise ’em right, then let them live their lives. Not a one of those jobs is easy, ’cept the first if you’re a man. But you blew it on the last today, bucko. So bad I was set to be angry at you until the end of my days, but all I got to give you is my pity.”
Roy was winding up to retort, but Alexis’s mom got there first.
“Roy, we’re leaving.”
Roy scowled at Martha while Cap and Knox (and Jacques) took her back.
“Roy!” Alexis’s mom snapped. “If you don’t walk out of here right now, this courtyard isn’t the only thing I’ll be leaving today.”
“Well, damn. Momma Alexis is finally showing a backbone,” Rhea mumbled.
Roy aimed one last scowl at Martha, then, without looking at anyone, he trudged out.
His wife was already through the gate.
Martha wasn’t quite done, and we knew this when she shouted at his back, “And I don’t have any cats!” She then turned directly to Raye and stated, “Though, been thinking about that, Raye. You got a shelter you can recommend to me?”
Along with being an Angel, a server, my bestie, and Cap’s fiancée, Raye was the resident Oasis pet sitter. She used to do it officially, as a second job for extra cash, but now that Cap was splitting their monthly outlay, she just did it for gift cards from her neighbors.
I watched with irritation as Knox bent down, grabbed Jacques and tucked him under his arm.
My attention was caught with Rhea saying, “I wasn’t aware traipsing around in a man’s shirt was the new fashion statement, but gotta say, sister, you kill that look.”
I hadn’t seen me, but I was one hundred percent certain I did.
“My man and I were interrupted in our reunion by well-meaning friends and a drama in the courtyard,” I replied as Knox made it to my side.
She looked him up and down and asked, “This your man?”
“Haven’t you met Knox?” Before she could say anything, I introduced, “Knox, Rhea. Rhea, Knox. Rhea lives next door to Cap and Raye. Knox is my hot guy.”
“We’ve met,” Knox muttered. “Nice to see you again,” he said.
“Excellent use of restraint in not punching that asshole in the throat,” she replied.
“Thanks,” he replied through twitching lips.
“Well, won’t keep you two any further from getting up to reunion activities that your neighbors are likely to complain about at the next Oasis barbeque. Later,” she bid her brand of adieu and walked away.
Raye took her place, with Cap.
She was looking at me.
