with Gina and the scars she’d created with her leaving. And because he had five children who needed the stability of the home they knew, it meant living far apart from him.
Or moving back to Bitterly.
Johanna listened to Charlotte chatter on, her already hollow belly emptying further. To make a sour morning completely unpalatable, as she pulled into the driveway on County Line Road, Johanna remembered the locket and her sisters and the scolding she was in for. She tucked it under her sweater in the hopes they’d forgotten. Emma hadn’t arrived yet, but they called her, she was certain. Thankfully, Efan’s Audi was in the driveway. His presence, and Charlotte’s, would probably buy her some time.
“Are your sisters going to be pissed?” Charlotte slid along the icy spots in her pig slippers. “I don’t want to spoil Christmas Day for anyone.”
“What’s one more?” Johanna assured her, though that’s not what Charlotte had actually been worried about. They tromped together into the house already redolent with yummy things cooking. Charlotte took off her pig slippers and left them near the heating vent to dry. Before Johanna had her boots off, Nina and Julietta were standing in the mudroom doorway, arms crossed…until they saw Charlotte.
“Charlotte’s going to spend the day with us,” Johanna told them quickly. “Gina showed up at the house and there was a…thing. Charlie knows she’s here.”
“I hope it’s okay,” Charlotte murmured.
Nina held out her arm, a mama-bird taking her under a wing. “Of course it’s okay. There’s plenty.”
She passed Johanna, eyes meeting hers over Charlotte’s head. If there was any doubt of the meaning there, Julietta dispelled it.
“You are not off the hook with the locket,” she whispered, glancing towards the kitchen. “Nina thinks it’s rightfully hers, but Gram promised it to me, Jo.”
Johanna felt the blood rush to her head.
When I am gone, I give this to you. The wish will be yours to make.
“That…that can’t be.” Grasping Julietta’s arm a little more tightly than she meant to, she pulled her farther into the mudroom. “Did Nina say why she thinks it’s hers?”
Julietta shook her head slowly back and forth. “She said Gram told her. But I know what Gram told me.”
“And so do I. Jules. Gram promised it to me, too. And if she promised it to me, you and Nina, then you can bet she told Emma it was going to her.”
Her sister paled. “Why would she do that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hey, ladies.” Efan poked his head through the door, smiling his toothy smile. “I think there might be something burning in here.”
“My sweet potatoes,” Julietta groaned. She grasped Johanna’s wrist. “We’ll talk about this later.” And ran into the kitchen where the first acrid tinge of burning brown sugar filmed the air.
Emma arrived and, after putting food in to warm and settling her kids, wanted to see the locket.
“I know,” Johanna whispered, “Gram promised it to you too, right?”
“Why?” Emma traced their mother’s face. “Why would she do this?”
“I don’t know, but now’s not the time. Let’s just enjoy the day. I promise I’m not going to vanish with it.” Before they were out of her mouth, Johanna regretted her choice of words.
Emma met her flustered gaze, clicked the locket closed and let it fall against her sister’s chest.
She kissed Johanna’s cheek. “Of course you won’t.”
* * * *
Bellies full, kitchen cleaned, locket temporarily forgotten, the adults sat around the dining-room table playing Naughty Scrabble while the kids took advantage of the pristine snowdrifts out back, and the last of the day’s sunshine.
“Lovebite,” Gunner called out. “I get a bingo. And on a triple-word score.”
“No way,” Emma said. “Love bite is two words.”
“Who says?”
“Let’s vote,” Charlotte said. “Two words?”
Everyone but Gunner raised their hands.
“No fair.”
“Of
Or moving back to Bitterly.
Johanna listened to Charlotte chatter on, her already hollow belly emptying further. To make a sour morning completely unpalatable, as she pulled into the driveway on County Line Road, Johanna remembered the locket and her sisters and the scolding she was in for. She tucked it under her sweater in the hopes they’d forgotten. Emma hadn’t arrived yet, but they called her, she was certain. Thankfully, Efan’s Audi was in the driveway. His presence, and Charlotte’s, would probably buy her some time.
“Are your sisters going to be pissed?” Charlotte slid along the icy spots in her pig slippers. “I don’t want to spoil Christmas Day for anyone.”
“What’s one more?” Johanna assured her, though that’s not what Charlotte had actually been worried about. They tromped together into the house already redolent with yummy things cooking. Charlotte took off her pig slippers and left them near the heating vent to dry. Before Johanna had her boots off, Nina and Julietta were standing in the mudroom doorway, arms crossed…until they saw Charlotte.
“Charlotte’s going to spend the day with us,” Johanna told them quickly. “Gina showed up at the house and there was a…thing. Charlie knows she’s here.”
“I hope it’s okay,” Charlotte murmured.
Nina held out her arm, a mama-bird taking her under a wing. “Of course it’s okay. There’s plenty.”
She passed Johanna, eyes meeting hers over Charlotte’s head. If there was any doubt of the meaning there, Julietta dispelled it.
“You are not off the hook with the locket,” she whispered, glancing towards the kitchen. “Nina thinks it’s rightfully hers, but Gram promised it to me, Jo.”
Johanna felt the blood rush to her head.
When I am gone, I give this to you. The wish will be yours to make.
“That…that can’t be.” Grasping Julietta’s arm a little more tightly than she meant to, she pulled her farther into the mudroom. “Did Nina say why she thinks it’s hers?”
Julietta shook her head slowly back and forth. “She said Gram told her. But I know what Gram told me.”
“And so do I. Jules. Gram promised it to me, too. And if she promised it to me, you and Nina, then you can bet she told Emma it was going to her.”
Her sister paled. “Why would she do that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hey, ladies.” Efan poked his head through the door, smiling his toothy smile. “I think there might be something burning in here.”
“My sweet potatoes,” Julietta groaned. She grasped Johanna’s wrist. “We’ll talk about this later.” And ran into the kitchen where the first acrid tinge of burning brown sugar filmed the air.
Emma arrived and, after putting food in to warm and settling her kids, wanted to see the locket.
“I know,” Johanna whispered, “Gram promised it to you too, right?”
“Why?” Emma traced their mother’s face. “Why would she do this?”
“I don’t know, but now’s not the time. Let’s just enjoy the day. I promise I’m not going to vanish with it.” Before they were out of her mouth, Johanna regretted her choice of words.
Emma met her flustered gaze, clicked the locket closed and let it fall against her sister’s chest.
She kissed Johanna’s cheek. “Of course you won’t.”
* * * *
Bellies full, kitchen cleaned, locket temporarily forgotten, the adults sat around the dining-room table playing Naughty Scrabble while the kids took advantage of the pristine snowdrifts out back, and the last of the day’s sunshine.
“Lovebite,” Gunner called out. “I get a bingo. And on a triple-word score.”
“No way,” Emma said. “Love bite is two words.”
“Who says?”
“Let’s vote,” Charlotte said. “Two words?”
Everyone but Gunner raised their hands.
“No fair.”
“Of
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