go?” Gracie asked.
Thank you, Gracie, thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Your poor mum hasn’t woken up yet,” Uncle Sean said. “You’ll be better off here with me, and anyway, you can help me entertain Miss Sourpuss.” He made a face at Ursula, who wrinkled her nose.
“Why is she still sleeping?” Caleb asked. “Don’t people wake up from operations?”
“Of course they wake up, son. However, they do it at different times. Everyone’s body reacts differently.”
Emma peeked at the clock. It was seven thirty. Her mother’s operation had been hours ago. Even if all her medical information did come from watching television shows, Emma was sure they should be upset if Mom hadn’t woken by now. It couldn’t be a good sign.
“Don’t worry,” Emma told her brother and sister. “I spoke to Daddy, and he said everything would be okay.” Lying seemed the kindest way to go. Mom would do that, right?
“You spoke to your father?” Aunt Vanessa asked.
The question made her feel strangely squirmy and defensive. “Yes.”
“Did he say anything to you?”
“About what?” Emma put the spoon down.
Uncle Sean put a hand on her aunt’s arm, as though stopping her.
Her aunt pursed her mouth and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“It’s about Grandpa, right?” Gracie said. “I heard you talking to Uncle Sean.”
“Didn’t anyone teach you not to sneak around eavesdropping?” Aunt Vanessa asked.
Gracie’s lips trembled. “I wasn’t sneaking! I went to the bathroom and heard you.”
“Heard what?” Emma took Gracie’s chin and turned her so that they were face-to-face. “What about Grandpa?”
Gracie squirmed out of Emma’s hold and turned to Uncle Sean, seeming to seek permission.
“We have to tell them now, Sean.” Vanessa laced her fingers on top of the table.
Sean shook his head and placed his hands in the air as if giving up.
Emma, Gracie, and Caleb stayed silent—an unspoken message zipped between them as happened so often with her siblings. Stay quiet; we’ll learn more.
After a few too-quiet moments Aunt Vanessa twisted up her ratty hair and then let it fall back. “Kids, you know how crazy your father drives. That’s what’s bothering Grandpa.”
“We don’t know how it happened, Vanessa.” Uncle Sean frowned at her aunt. “Another car was involved. The driver was tailgating. And speeding.”
“Did that car make it happen?” Gracie asked. “The speeding one?”
“Probably, honey.” Her uncle took Gracie’s hand.
“But what about Daddy’s crazy driving?” Gracie’s sweetness confused people. They didn’t realize you could be sweet as pie and still dig, dig, dig until you got the truth.
“It was an accident,” Uncle Sean said. “Sometimes terrible things just happen.”
Caleb pushed away from the table hard enough so that his chair fell over as he ran to the living room and switched on the television.
“And sometimes they’re preventable,” Aunt Vanessa said.
CHAPTER 10
Ben
“Wake up, son.”
Ben opened his eyes. He prayed the sight of his father standing over him was some fucked-up dream. Look at him. Wearing a suit in August as though he were at Maddy’s wake. Ben’s mother stood beside his father, twisting her wedding band around a thin finger. Seeing her shake her head, Ben straightened up and made an impotent attempt to smooth his wrinkled shirt.
After giving him an unreadable look, his mother turned to his mother-in-law, all stiff and sorrowful. “Anne. I’m so sorry. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
The Judge, as Ben always thought of him, sat next to Anne and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Jake?”
“Getting something to eat,” Anne said. “I’m so glad you’re here. Please, talk to Ben. I’m worried. I’m positive he’s hurting more than he’s letting on.”
His mother turned her head. “Oh, no! Were you hurt?”
“Just some bruised ribs.”
“The doctor said they were fractured.” Anne laced her fingers.
Thank you, Gracie, thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Your poor mum hasn’t woken up yet,” Uncle Sean said. “You’ll be better off here with me, and anyway, you can help me entertain Miss Sourpuss.” He made a face at Ursula, who wrinkled her nose.
“Why is she still sleeping?” Caleb asked. “Don’t people wake up from operations?”
“Of course they wake up, son. However, they do it at different times. Everyone’s body reacts differently.”
Emma peeked at the clock. It was seven thirty. Her mother’s operation had been hours ago. Even if all her medical information did come from watching television shows, Emma was sure they should be upset if Mom hadn’t woken by now. It couldn’t be a good sign.
“Don’t worry,” Emma told her brother and sister. “I spoke to Daddy, and he said everything would be okay.” Lying seemed the kindest way to go. Mom would do that, right?
“You spoke to your father?” Aunt Vanessa asked.
The question made her feel strangely squirmy and defensive. “Yes.”
“Did he say anything to you?”
“About what?” Emma put the spoon down.
Uncle Sean put a hand on her aunt’s arm, as though stopping her.
Her aunt pursed her mouth and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“It’s about Grandpa, right?” Gracie said. “I heard you talking to Uncle Sean.”
“Didn’t anyone teach you not to sneak around eavesdropping?” Aunt Vanessa asked.
Gracie’s lips trembled. “I wasn’t sneaking! I went to the bathroom and heard you.”
“Heard what?” Emma took Gracie’s chin and turned her so that they were face-to-face. “What about Grandpa?”
Gracie squirmed out of Emma’s hold and turned to Uncle Sean, seeming to seek permission.
“We have to tell them now, Sean.” Vanessa laced her fingers on top of the table.
Sean shook his head and placed his hands in the air as if giving up.
Emma, Gracie, and Caleb stayed silent—an unspoken message zipped between them as happened so often with her siblings. Stay quiet; we’ll learn more.
After a few too-quiet moments Aunt Vanessa twisted up her ratty hair and then let it fall back. “Kids, you know how crazy your father drives. That’s what’s bothering Grandpa.”
“We don’t know how it happened, Vanessa.” Uncle Sean frowned at her aunt. “Another car was involved. The driver was tailgating. And speeding.”
“Did that car make it happen?” Gracie asked. “The speeding one?”
“Probably, honey.” Her uncle took Gracie’s hand.
“But what about Daddy’s crazy driving?” Gracie’s sweetness confused people. They didn’t realize you could be sweet as pie and still dig, dig, dig until you got the truth.
“It was an accident,” Uncle Sean said. “Sometimes terrible things just happen.”
Caleb pushed away from the table hard enough so that his chair fell over as he ran to the living room and switched on the television.
“And sometimes they’re preventable,” Aunt Vanessa said.
CHAPTER 10
Ben
“Wake up, son.”
Ben opened his eyes. He prayed the sight of his father standing over him was some fucked-up dream. Look at him. Wearing a suit in August as though he were at Maddy’s wake. Ben’s mother stood beside his father, twisting her wedding band around a thin finger. Seeing her shake her head, Ben straightened up and made an impotent attempt to smooth his wrinkled shirt.
After giving him an unreadable look, his mother turned to his mother-in-law, all stiff and sorrowful. “Anne. I’m so sorry. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
The Judge, as Ben always thought of him, sat next to Anne and kissed her cheek. “Where’s Jake?”
“Getting something to eat,” Anne said. “I’m so glad you’re here. Please, talk to Ben. I’m worried. I’m positive he’s hurting more than he’s letting on.”
His mother turned her head. “Oh, no! Were you hurt?”
“Just some bruised ribs.”
“The doctor said they were fractured.” Anne laced her fingers.
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