Oh, this is rich, ” Bernice mocked, looking from her sister-in-law to her daughter with a scowl that marred her features. “ You should have your foot knee deep in her ass, and she wants to talk ? ”
“ Tori, ” Alicia said, with a pointed look at Bernice, “ we should have this conversation somewhere else. ”
“ Fine. Let ’ s go back to the hotel. ” Tori maneuvered past her mother and moved toward the stairs.
Alicia slid a glance at her brother. An angry vein throbbing at his temple caused her to think twice about having any kind of conversation with him.
Bernice gripped the sleeve of Tori ’ s blouse and shouted, “ I want answers! ”
“ Well, you won ’ t get them from me, ” Tori retorted, shaking off her mother ’ s hand.
“ I have to get my things, ” Alicia said as she moved down the hall and entered the safety of the guest bedroom. During her absence Bernice and James had taken over her master bedroom.
She rifled through her purse, found her credit card, then took a seat at her computer and navigated to Air India ’ s website. A song trilled out once the intro page came onto the screen.
“ Come along, come along with me, and I ’ ll ease your pain, ” the raspy voice sang.
“ If only a plane ride could accomplish that, ” Alicia whispered. She moved up the departure date on her reservation and quickly printed the necessary documents.
The Mediterranean cruise Alicia was supposed to be on for Thanksgiving had been cancelled due to an outbreak of the Norovirus and it also postponed her trip to India — the last place on her “ special things-to-do list. ” As she ’ d stood in the airport wondering what she was going to do for the holiday now that her plans had abruptly changed, she ’ d checked her voicemail and heard the latest of Tori ’ s messages. Her niece had left so many that Alicia wondered if maybe Tori was right. Maybe it was time for her to come home.
So, that ’ s what she did and by the time Alicia arrived at the Harper house after an eighteen-hour sleepless flight, she was soul weary from her year of traveling — first to Sabi Sand Game Reserve in Africa, sleeping in one of their luxury Treehouses for months, reading and meditating before she choose to visit other parts of the motherland, then to Tibet, Switzerland. The call from Tori was perfect timing — a break from trying to repurpose her life.
She ’ d been grateful when she arrived to find the house empty. She knew everyone was out doing their normal Thanksgiving caravan of visiting friends and family and her plan was to get some sleep before they returned.
Only vaguely did she remember thinking she ’ d heard the shower; she ’ d just been too weary, believing that all sounds she ’ d heard was the carry-over from her travel meds.
So, she ’ d laid down, closed her eyes, then felt his presence. When she opened her eyes, Dallas was there and . . .
Bernice busted into the room, the same way she ’ d done yesterday. Her hand was poised on her hip. “ How could you do this to her? ”
“ I would appreciate it if you left my space, ” Alicia said, hating to be snatched from her memory of Dallas. She moved toward the dresser to collect the few toiletries she ’ d unpacked.
“ I ’ m not going anywhere! ”
Tori entered the room, ushered her sputtering mother out of it and locked the door.
Alicia pointed to her ears, then gestured toward the bathroom. Tori followed her inside. When Alicia perched on the edge of the tub, the top cover of the throne and took a seat.
She waited several moments for Tori to say something, and when no words came, she began with, “ I ’ m so sorry I hurt you, Tori. Please believe that — ”
Tori ’ s gaze flitted to the marble tiles, then the glass sink and finally landed on Alicia. “ So we ’ re in this complicated situation. ”
“ Why did you send him to me last night? ”
“ Because he longs for you. ”
Alicia reached out to touch Tori. When
“ Tori, ” Alicia said, with a pointed look at Bernice, “ we should have this conversation somewhere else. ”
“ Fine. Let ’ s go back to the hotel. ” Tori maneuvered past her mother and moved toward the stairs.
Alicia slid a glance at her brother. An angry vein throbbing at his temple caused her to think twice about having any kind of conversation with him.
Bernice gripped the sleeve of Tori ’ s blouse and shouted, “ I want answers! ”
“ Well, you won ’ t get them from me, ” Tori retorted, shaking off her mother ’ s hand.
“ I have to get my things, ” Alicia said as she moved down the hall and entered the safety of the guest bedroom. During her absence Bernice and James had taken over her master bedroom.
She rifled through her purse, found her credit card, then took a seat at her computer and navigated to Air India ’ s website. A song trilled out once the intro page came onto the screen.
“ Come along, come along with me, and I ’ ll ease your pain, ” the raspy voice sang.
“ If only a plane ride could accomplish that, ” Alicia whispered. She moved up the departure date on her reservation and quickly printed the necessary documents.
The Mediterranean cruise Alicia was supposed to be on for Thanksgiving had been cancelled due to an outbreak of the Norovirus and it also postponed her trip to India — the last place on her “ special things-to-do list. ” As she ’ d stood in the airport wondering what she was going to do for the holiday now that her plans had abruptly changed, she ’ d checked her voicemail and heard the latest of Tori ’ s messages. Her niece had left so many that Alicia wondered if maybe Tori was right. Maybe it was time for her to come home.
So, that ’ s what she did and by the time Alicia arrived at the Harper house after an eighteen-hour sleepless flight, she was soul weary from her year of traveling — first to Sabi Sand Game Reserve in Africa, sleeping in one of their luxury Treehouses for months, reading and meditating before she choose to visit other parts of the motherland, then to Tibet, Switzerland. The call from Tori was perfect timing — a break from trying to repurpose her life.
She ’ d been grateful when she arrived to find the house empty. She knew everyone was out doing their normal Thanksgiving caravan of visiting friends and family and her plan was to get some sleep before they returned.
Only vaguely did she remember thinking she ’ d heard the shower; she ’ d just been too weary, believing that all sounds she ’ d heard was the carry-over from her travel meds.
So, she ’ d laid down, closed her eyes, then felt his presence. When she opened her eyes, Dallas was there and . . .
Bernice busted into the room, the same way she ’ d done yesterday. Her hand was poised on her hip. “ How could you do this to her? ”
“ I would appreciate it if you left my space, ” Alicia said, hating to be snatched from her memory of Dallas. She moved toward the dresser to collect the few toiletries she ’ d unpacked.
“ I ’ m not going anywhere! ”
Tori entered the room, ushered her sputtering mother out of it and locked the door.
Alicia pointed to her ears, then gestured toward the bathroom. Tori followed her inside. When Alicia perched on the edge of the tub, the top cover of the throne and took a seat.
She waited several moments for Tori to say something, and when no words came, she began with, “ I ’ m so sorry I hurt you, Tori. Please believe that — ”
Tori ’ s gaze flitted to the marble tiles, then the glass sink and finally landed on Alicia. “ So we ’ re in this complicated situation. ”
“ Why did you send him to me last night? ”
“ Because he longs for you. ”
Alicia reached out to touch Tori. When
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