and sincerity.
"Fine, I guess I'm always wrong," Adrienne mumbled now, still sulking because no one was supporting her attempts to set up Corryn. "I just want the best for my girls because I love them, and I'm wrong again. "
Calmly, Billy said, "Mom, you're not always wrong. You just have a compulsive need to criticize. No matter what Corryn or I do, you'll always find something else we should be working on. Face it: You're never satisfied."
Defensively, Adrienne yelped, "That's not true! How can you say that to me? And what about all the good I do? Do you ever remember that?"
"Okay, okay," David said quickly, in his most pacifist tone. "I think everyone's getting a little too worked up here. Addy, I know you want to help, but Billy and Corryn are both adults now. They have to make their own choices."
Adrienne's face scrunched in bafflement.
"Anyone for espresso?" he asked affably, and went into the kitchen. Corryn slipped outside for another cigarette. After she returned there was a silence in the air—one that seemed to echo things that had just been said and magnify how absurd they really were.
"So... are we all still good friends?" Billy asked, smiling coaxingly at her mom and her sister. Corryn smirked at her mom, who responded by sticking her tongue out. Billy let out an exasperated laugh; they were both so damn alike.
Adrienne switched the lights back on and shut off the slide projector. "I had something else I wanted to talk to you girls about. But now I see how youreally feel about me..."
"Oh, Mom, come on," Billy said lightly. "What is it?"
"Well, I had an idea for something fun that the three of us could do together."
"Uh-oh..." Corryn said.
"I have two words for you," Adrienne continued, sitting back down in her chair. "Adult. Ed."
"What about it?" Billy asked.
"How about we all take a class together? One of those fun night courses. Ever since I lost weight and changed my lifestyle, I've wanted to take a cooking class, and I was thinking it would be a good excuse for some mother-daughter bonding. It'll be my treat; I'll take care of everything," she finished with her hands perched together, prayer style. "What do you say?"
She just looked so excited about the idea that Billy couldn't bear to say no. "Okay, I'll do it," she said, and looked over at Corryn, who she was pretty sure would go along, too... though she might make Adrienne sweat it out a little.
After a pause, Corryn shrugged. "Fine, as long as it's only one or two nights a week."
"Oh, great!" Adrienne enthused. "I'll just go get the course book."
After she left the room to fetch that, David returned bearing espresso and Sausalito cookies. "Don't let your mother see these," he whispered, grinning, and offered them to Billy and Corryn. Corryn took one, but Billy passed, despite the sensory receptors in her brain that always buzzed for chocolate.
"Dad, I brought cupcakes," she said.
He shook his head and said quietly, "No—too messy. I'll sneak one later." After he bit into his cookie, he said, "By the way, I like this adult school idea. It'll be good for you to spend time with your mother. She misses you when you're not here."
Corryn scoffed, obviously not buying it.
"It's true," David insisted, absently spilling pieces of cookie on his shirt and the hassock. (Not exactly a master of subterfuge.)
Corryn sighed. "If she misses us, why does she antagonize us the minute we walk through the door?"
"Her heart's in the right place," he said tritely but sincerely. "She just wants you to be happy—and she doesn't want you to smoke. None of us do."
"It's true," Billy agreed softly.
Just then Adrienne bounded back into the room with the adult school course guide, but quickly got sidetracked by all the cookie crumbs. She bickered with David about using a plate—or how about giving up junk food altogether?—while Billy rolled her eyes, and Corryn fell back on the sofa, mumbling, "I need a cigarette."
Chapter 9
The next
"Fine, I guess I'm always wrong," Adrienne mumbled now, still sulking because no one was supporting her attempts to set up Corryn. "I just want the best for my girls because I love them, and I'm wrong again. "
Calmly, Billy said, "Mom, you're not always wrong. You just have a compulsive need to criticize. No matter what Corryn or I do, you'll always find something else we should be working on. Face it: You're never satisfied."
Defensively, Adrienne yelped, "That's not true! How can you say that to me? And what about all the good I do? Do you ever remember that?"
"Okay, okay," David said quickly, in his most pacifist tone. "I think everyone's getting a little too worked up here. Addy, I know you want to help, but Billy and Corryn are both adults now. They have to make their own choices."
Adrienne's face scrunched in bafflement.
"Anyone for espresso?" he asked affably, and went into the kitchen. Corryn slipped outside for another cigarette. After she returned there was a silence in the air—one that seemed to echo things that had just been said and magnify how absurd they really were.
"So... are we all still good friends?" Billy asked, smiling coaxingly at her mom and her sister. Corryn smirked at her mom, who responded by sticking her tongue out. Billy let out an exasperated laugh; they were both so damn alike.
Adrienne switched the lights back on and shut off the slide projector. "I had something else I wanted to talk to you girls about. But now I see how youreally feel about me..."
"Oh, Mom, come on," Billy said lightly. "What is it?"
"Well, I had an idea for something fun that the three of us could do together."
"Uh-oh..." Corryn said.
"I have two words for you," Adrienne continued, sitting back down in her chair. "Adult. Ed."
"What about it?" Billy asked.
"How about we all take a class together? One of those fun night courses. Ever since I lost weight and changed my lifestyle, I've wanted to take a cooking class, and I was thinking it would be a good excuse for some mother-daughter bonding. It'll be my treat; I'll take care of everything," she finished with her hands perched together, prayer style. "What do you say?"
She just looked so excited about the idea that Billy couldn't bear to say no. "Okay, I'll do it," she said, and looked over at Corryn, who she was pretty sure would go along, too... though she might make Adrienne sweat it out a little.
After a pause, Corryn shrugged. "Fine, as long as it's only one or two nights a week."
"Oh, great!" Adrienne enthused. "I'll just go get the course book."
After she left the room to fetch that, David returned bearing espresso and Sausalito cookies. "Don't let your mother see these," he whispered, grinning, and offered them to Billy and Corryn. Corryn took one, but Billy passed, despite the sensory receptors in her brain that always buzzed for chocolate.
"Dad, I brought cupcakes," she said.
He shook his head and said quietly, "No—too messy. I'll sneak one later." After he bit into his cookie, he said, "By the way, I like this adult school idea. It'll be good for you to spend time with your mother. She misses you when you're not here."
Corryn scoffed, obviously not buying it.
"It's true," David insisted, absently spilling pieces of cookie on his shirt and the hassock. (Not exactly a master of subterfuge.)
Corryn sighed. "If she misses us, why does she antagonize us the minute we walk through the door?"
"Her heart's in the right place," he said tritely but sincerely. "She just wants you to be happy—and she doesn't want you to smoke. None of us do."
"It's true," Billy agreed softly.
Just then Adrienne bounded back into the room with the adult school course guide, but quickly got sidetracked by all the cookie crumbs. She bickered with David about using a plate—or how about giving up junk food altogether?—while Billy rolled her eyes, and Corryn fell back on the sofa, mumbling, "I need a cigarette."
Chapter 9
The next
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