to go. He was in such a good mood when he got home! Still, I have often wondered what men get up to when they're playing at being boys. I always wanted to be a fly on the wall.” She put her hand over her mouth and giggled conspiratorially, her face becoming pink and childlike. “I've often wondered what shenanigans they got up to. Haven't you always wondered, Eadie? Haven't you always wanted to go along? Haven't you always wished …”
“Look, Virginia, if you want to know what happened, why don't you just ask your new husband. He was there.”
Virginia stiffened. A cloud passed suddenly over the sun, darkening the yard and bringing with it a cool breeze off the water. “Yes, I know that,” she said shortly. “I know he was there.”
Eadie noted Virginia's discomfort. She grinned suddenly. “I thought soul mates told each other everything,” she said.
Virginia stared at her steadily for several seconds, her face becoming less soft and childlike and more like a slab of granite. She poured the rest of her drink out on the ground. “Oh, I'll find out what happened,” she said briskly, squaring her little shoulders. “You can bet on it.”
Eadie shrugged. “Good luck with that,” she said. She turned, and moved off through the crowd.
Virginia watched her go, a tense expression on her face. Her eyes flattened out over the crowd of revelers and then grew sharp as pitchfork prongs as they settled on the hapless Redmon, who, unaware of his wife's piercing gaze, trundled by with Loretta James wrapped in his arms.
V IRGINIA SAW HER GRANDSON LATER, STANDING AT THE EDGE OF the crowd, watching the band play. Public school had obviously not been good for Logan. He was dressed all in black—black pants, black T-shirt, a black leather jacket, and his hair was dyed a deep purple color. He was with a lovely girl, a breathtakingly beautiful girl, who reminded Virginia of herself as a young woman. Startled, she realized it was her granddaughter, Whitney, who, over the nine months since Virginia saw her last, had metamorphosed from a chubby adolescent into a slim-waisted swan. It was too late for Logan, of course, but Whitney showed signs of promise. Virginia imagined herself taking the girl under her wing. She imagined tea parties and shopping trips to Atlanta. Virginia had always thought she would make a better mother to a daughter than she had made to a son. If only fate had worked to her advantage. She pulled herself up straight, and watched the girl, her lips pursed. With the right guidance Whitney might yet make something of herself. Her eyes narrowed. Her breathing slowed. She stared at her granddaughter, feeling a slight tremor of excitement.
Virginia had suddenly realized what shape her revenge would take.
T HE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING E ADIE WOKE UP EARLY, BORROWED Lavonne's car, and drove out to the office supply store at the mall. She bought herself a sketchbook and some charcoal pencils and then she dropped the car off at Lavonne's and walked down to the River Park and sat and sketched families throwing Frisbees, families picnicking in the sun and Rollerblading along the concrete sidewalks. She hadn't worked in nearly eighteen months but today it just poured out of her. She filled page after page of the sketchbook.
Around twelve-thirty, Lavonne called. “Hey, where are you?” she said, still sounding sleepy.
“I'm down at the River Park, sketching.”
“Sketching? Really? Stay right there. I'll go by the store and pick up a couple of double lattes and some cream cheese muffins and meet you there.” Lavonne was happy to have the day off. The deli was closed on Sundays and Mondays. Usually she just sat around working on her laptop, but Eadie was flying back to New Orleans tomorrow so Lavonne was glad to spend the day with her.
Eadie put her cell phone down and thumbed slowly through the sketchbook, amazed at the work she had done. It was as if something inside her had suddenly let down like rainwater
“Look, Virginia, if you want to know what happened, why don't you just ask your new husband. He was there.”
Virginia stiffened. A cloud passed suddenly over the sun, darkening the yard and bringing with it a cool breeze off the water. “Yes, I know that,” she said shortly. “I know he was there.”
Eadie noted Virginia's discomfort. She grinned suddenly. “I thought soul mates told each other everything,” she said.
Virginia stared at her steadily for several seconds, her face becoming less soft and childlike and more like a slab of granite. She poured the rest of her drink out on the ground. “Oh, I'll find out what happened,” she said briskly, squaring her little shoulders. “You can bet on it.”
Eadie shrugged. “Good luck with that,” she said. She turned, and moved off through the crowd.
Virginia watched her go, a tense expression on her face. Her eyes flattened out over the crowd of revelers and then grew sharp as pitchfork prongs as they settled on the hapless Redmon, who, unaware of his wife's piercing gaze, trundled by with Loretta James wrapped in his arms.
V IRGINIA SAW HER GRANDSON LATER, STANDING AT THE EDGE OF the crowd, watching the band play. Public school had obviously not been good for Logan. He was dressed all in black—black pants, black T-shirt, a black leather jacket, and his hair was dyed a deep purple color. He was with a lovely girl, a breathtakingly beautiful girl, who reminded Virginia of herself as a young woman. Startled, she realized it was her granddaughter, Whitney, who, over the nine months since Virginia saw her last, had metamorphosed from a chubby adolescent into a slim-waisted swan. It was too late for Logan, of course, but Whitney showed signs of promise. Virginia imagined herself taking the girl under her wing. She imagined tea parties and shopping trips to Atlanta. Virginia had always thought she would make a better mother to a daughter than she had made to a son. If only fate had worked to her advantage. She pulled herself up straight, and watched the girl, her lips pursed. With the right guidance Whitney might yet make something of herself. Her eyes narrowed. Her breathing slowed. She stared at her granddaughter, feeling a slight tremor of excitement.
Virginia had suddenly realized what shape her revenge would take.
T HE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING E ADIE WOKE UP EARLY, BORROWED Lavonne's car, and drove out to the office supply store at the mall. She bought herself a sketchbook and some charcoal pencils and then she dropped the car off at Lavonne's and walked down to the River Park and sat and sketched families throwing Frisbees, families picnicking in the sun and Rollerblading along the concrete sidewalks. She hadn't worked in nearly eighteen months but today it just poured out of her. She filled page after page of the sketchbook.
Around twelve-thirty, Lavonne called. “Hey, where are you?” she said, still sounding sleepy.
“I'm down at the River Park, sketching.”
“Sketching? Really? Stay right there. I'll go by the store and pick up a couple of double lattes and some cream cheese muffins and meet you there.” Lavonne was happy to have the day off. The deli was closed on Sundays and Mondays. Usually she just sat around working on her laptop, but Eadie was flying back to New Orleans tomorrow so Lavonne was glad to spend the day with her.
Eadie put her cell phone down and thumbed slowly through the sketchbook, amazed at the work she had done. It was as if something inside her had suddenly let down like rainwater
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