Aiden kissed me good night before he left. Jake didn't tell me good night. Diedra just smiled.
Georgie and I sat under the tree, watching the moon ripple across the water. Fireflies were showing off their shine. I took a deep breath of summer waning into fall. I tried to push the thought of school out of my head and only succeeded when Georgie asked me about mother.
"Do you think she'll come here?"
I really hated the sound of hope in her voice. I wanted to wring it out of her.
A firefly landed on my hand and I casually studied it. Then I squished it. Just like our hope is often squashed by those who should love us the most.
"She doesn't love us you know. She's probably a drug addict and that's why she's asking for money."
Georgie's eyes looked twice the size the normally do. I felt a twinge of regret but only for a moment before she said, "I want her to live with us again."
Now I wanted to wring her neck.
"I don't," I said, angrily. We both turned when the doorbell echoed through the house and met us in the darkness.
"Mother," Georgie whispered. She stood slowly, moving cautiously against her own optimism, through the back door.
I saw the silhouette of mother in the kitchen. Embracing Georgie. Dad stood off to the side, shoulders slumped.
I rose and walked in slowly for my own reasons.
"Hi, Faith!" Mother said, like she was excited I was there. I just looked at her. "Did you talk to your dad?"
I nodded. I was afraid to open my mouth. Hurtful words were on the verge of my tongue ready to strike.
"The answer is still no," Dad said, looking at the fridge.
"It's not your money," Mother said. She turned to me. "It's yours. I just wanted your dad to know I asked."
Georgie smiled at mother. "I'll give you my share."
I saw Dad sag against the kitchen counter. Mother smiled triumphantly.
"I knew I could count on one of my daughters." She glared at me.
"You can count on this daughter not to enable your addictions," I said.
Georgie and I sat under the tree, watching the moon ripple across the water. Fireflies were showing off their shine. I took a deep breath of summer waning into fall. I tried to push the thought of school out of my head and only succeeded when Georgie asked me about mother.
"Do you think she'll come here?"
I really hated the sound of hope in her voice. I wanted to wring it out of her.
A firefly landed on my hand and I casually studied it. Then I squished it. Just like our hope is often squashed by those who should love us the most.
"She doesn't love us you know. She's probably a drug addict and that's why she's asking for money."
Georgie's eyes looked twice the size the normally do. I felt a twinge of regret but only for a moment before she said, "I want her to live with us again."
Now I wanted to wring her neck.
"I don't," I said, angrily. We both turned when the doorbell echoed through the house and met us in the darkness.
"Mother," Georgie whispered. She stood slowly, moving cautiously against her own optimism, through the back door.
I saw the silhouette of mother in the kitchen. Embracing Georgie. Dad stood off to the side, shoulders slumped.
I rose and walked in slowly for my own reasons.
"Hi, Faith!" Mother said, like she was excited I was there. I just looked at her. "Did you talk to your dad?"
I nodded. I was afraid to open my mouth. Hurtful words were on the verge of my tongue ready to strike.
"The answer is still no," Dad said, looking at the fridge.
"It's not your money," Mother said. She turned to me. "It's yours. I just wanted your dad to know I asked."
Georgie smiled at mother. "I'll give you my share."
I saw Dad sag against the kitchen counter. Mother smiled triumphantly.
"I knew I could count on one of my daughters." She glared at me.
"You can count on this daughter not to enable your addictions," I said.
