last night,” Tansy announced baldly. “Girl. Thought you’d want to know.”
“Thanks,” Anna said drily. “I’m aware.” Actually, it was for Ginger that Anna had substituted that morning, not that she wanted her grandmother to know about that.
“Since it’s the second child, there won’t be a shower,” Tansy went on, “but that doesn’t mean her friends shouldn’t take over a gift.”
As if Anna could not decipher that for herself. She glanced at the illustration on her drawing board, murmuring, “I thought I’d frame one of my drawings. That would at least be unique.”
“Unique,” Tansy huffed, a familiar expression of disapproval on her face. “Unique is overrated. Besides, what would an infant need with a drawing? Buy her a bag of disposable diapers. Now that’s useful.”
“Useful but boring.”
Tansy rolled her eyes. “That’s the trouble with you, Anna Miranda. You think life ought to be entertaining, fun. When are you going to act responsibly, settle down and have a family of your own?”
Now that Tansy’s excuse for this visit was out of the way, Anna mused, the old girl could get about her real business of running Anna’s life, or trying to. Anna had to give it to Tansy. She never quit, a trait she shared with her granddaughter.
“And give up all this?” Anna quipped, holding out her hands. “What makes you think I want a family, anyway? All family’s ever been to me is a pain.”
“You want to talk about pain? What about the pain of losing my only son?”
“He’s been dead for over twenty-five years,” Anna pointed out softly.
“And his father for ten years before that, but do you ever think about the pain I’ve suffered because of it? What about the pain and embarrassment you’ve caused with your behavior?” Tansy went on. “All I’ve ever wanted is what’s best for you.”
“That and to control my every breath,” Anna sniped.
“Will you be serious for once!” Tansy demanded. “Andif you’re going to listen to that ridiculous music, at least turn it down!”
Anna went straight to the stereo and turned up the volume a notch.
Tansy marched over and punched the power button on the stereo as if Anna was ten and they did not stand in her home. Anna glared through the silence that followed.
“You’re going to ruin your hearing,” Tansy said defensively.
“It’s my hearing. I’ll ruin it if I want to,” Anna snapped, aware that she was reverting to her sixteen-year-old self but unable to stop. “You have no right to touch things in my apartment!”
Tansy frowned sourly. Stomping to the door, she muttered, “Just once I’d like to have a normal conversation with you. Just once!”
As Tansy went out, Anna spun around and slapped the power button on the stereo with one hand, wrenching up the volume with the other. Anna was still heaving in angry breaths when the neighbors next door began to beat on the wall. Instantly, Anna lashed out by spinning the volume knob all the way up. Then, for some reason, Reeves came to mind. In a flash, she imagined him watching from afar, like God on high peering down from lofty realms. Anna turned down the volume, feeling foolish and immature and…sad.
After a moment, her raging heartbeat slowed, but the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach remained. She sat down at her drawing table and began ruthlessly “correcting” her work. After a long while, she sat back to take a critical view. It came as no surprise that the little girl in that ruffled pink skirt bore a decided resemblance to Gilli Leland.
Chapter Six
“A nna was at church this morning?” Odelia asked breathlessly, clapping her hands together. She barely missed catching the tips of her long, dangling earrings. They looked like bunches of grapes swaying above the dining table. “How wonderful! I’m sorry I missed her.”
Reeves forked a bite of omelet into his mouth—the aunties ate so-called “simple fare” on Sundays—and shook his head.
“Thanks,” Anna said drily. “I’m aware.” Actually, it was for Ginger that Anna had substituted that morning, not that she wanted her grandmother to know about that.
“Since it’s the second child, there won’t be a shower,” Tansy went on, “but that doesn’t mean her friends shouldn’t take over a gift.”
As if Anna could not decipher that for herself. She glanced at the illustration on her drawing board, murmuring, “I thought I’d frame one of my drawings. That would at least be unique.”
“Unique,” Tansy huffed, a familiar expression of disapproval on her face. “Unique is overrated. Besides, what would an infant need with a drawing? Buy her a bag of disposable diapers. Now that’s useful.”
“Useful but boring.”
Tansy rolled her eyes. “That’s the trouble with you, Anna Miranda. You think life ought to be entertaining, fun. When are you going to act responsibly, settle down and have a family of your own?”
Now that Tansy’s excuse for this visit was out of the way, Anna mused, the old girl could get about her real business of running Anna’s life, or trying to. Anna had to give it to Tansy. She never quit, a trait she shared with her granddaughter.
“And give up all this?” Anna quipped, holding out her hands. “What makes you think I want a family, anyway? All family’s ever been to me is a pain.”
“You want to talk about pain? What about the pain of losing my only son?”
“He’s been dead for over twenty-five years,” Anna pointed out softly.
“And his father for ten years before that, but do you ever think about the pain I’ve suffered because of it? What about the pain and embarrassment you’ve caused with your behavior?” Tansy went on. “All I’ve ever wanted is what’s best for you.”
“That and to control my every breath,” Anna sniped.
“Will you be serious for once!” Tansy demanded. “Andif you’re going to listen to that ridiculous music, at least turn it down!”
Anna went straight to the stereo and turned up the volume a notch.
Tansy marched over and punched the power button on the stereo as if Anna was ten and they did not stand in her home. Anna glared through the silence that followed.
“You’re going to ruin your hearing,” Tansy said defensively.
“It’s my hearing. I’ll ruin it if I want to,” Anna snapped, aware that she was reverting to her sixteen-year-old self but unable to stop. “You have no right to touch things in my apartment!”
Tansy frowned sourly. Stomping to the door, she muttered, “Just once I’d like to have a normal conversation with you. Just once!”
As Tansy went out, Anna spun around and slapped the power button on the stereo with one hand, wrenching up the volume with the other. Anna was still heaving in angry breaths when the neighbors next door began to beat on the wall. Instantly, Anna lashed out by spinning the volume knob all the way up. Then, for some reason, Reeves came to mind. In a flash, she imagined him watching from afar, like God on high peering down from lofty realms. Anna turned down the volume, feeling foolish and immature and…sad.
After a moment, her raging heartbeat slowed, but the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach remained. She sat down at her drawing table and began ruthlessly “correcting” her work. After a long while, she sat back to take a critical view. It came as no surprise that the little girl in that ruffled pink skirt bore a decided resemblance to Gilli Leland.
Chapter Six
“A nna was at church this morning?” Odelia asked breathlessly, clapping her hands together. She barely missed catching the tips of her long, dangling earrings. They looked like bunches of grapes swaying above the dining table. “How wonderful! I’m sorry I missed her.”
Reeves forked a bite of omelet into his mouth—the aunties ate so-called “simple fare” on Sundays—and shook his head.
Similar Books
