like the cat that got the canary .
Joey mumbled, “Gay, ” and Vanessa punched him in the arm.
“Oww!” It must have been hard, because Joey dropped his video thingy. “Mom, Vanessa fucked up my game!”
“Language,” Cora chided before turning her gaze on Vanessa. “Ness, violence is not the answer.”
With a deep sigh, Vanessa leaned into her hoodie-pillow. “Whatever.”
Cora’s heart hurt now, as it did whenever the family argued. Her skin felt itchy, too, and she scratched her wrist until Dan set a big hand across her fingers, a silent but necessary chastisement. “Why don’t you see if we get a radio station out here?”
Good idea. Music would clear the air.
Cora fiddled with the dials until she picked up a strong signal. By some miracle of nature, the station played a perfect combination of adult contemporary and classic rock. The kids didn’t complain, and when Cora at last worked up the courage to turn around, she found that Vanessa had fallen asleep.
Even in those army-green pants and a T-shirt that read “Pussy Club, New Members Welcome,” Vanessa looked just like a doll. Such a pretty face. It was a shame she insisted on cutting her hair short, and refused to wear make-up.
Cora had once asked her daughter, “Why can’t you be a lipstick lesbian? You don’t have to look a fright just because you go out with girls.” But Vanessa had responded by bolting to her bedroom and slamming the door.
Joey had finally given his game a rest. Now he stared out the window as they drove past lichen-covered sheets of pink-hued rock. As much as she and Dan had complained about the cost of staying the whole weekend at some luxurious resort just to witness the marriage of their niece to a notorious good-for-nothing, she had to admit it was nice to get away from the city.
“Maybe we could rent a cottage this year.” Cora reached forward to turn down the volume on the radio. Joey was now snoring in the back seat, a perfect complement to his sister on the other side of the car. “A little cabin on a lake, just the two of us?”
Dan didn’t seem to take the hint. “All in all, this weekend’s gonna eat up our vacation budget for the year.”
“Yeah.” With a resigned sigh, Cora gazed out the window, watching the rock face recede and pine trees rise up in its place.
“Doesn’t seem right to ask the family to dish out all this money just to come to their wedding,” Dan said. “Bad enough we had to buy them a four-hundred-dollar sugar bowl.”
Cora laughed. “It wasn’t four hundred dollars, and it wasn’t a sugar bowl.”
“We didn’t go overboard like this when we got married. We registered for the basics, for things we really needed.”
“But we were establishing a household,” Cora reasoned, watching the firm line of her husband’s jaw as he chewed on her words. “Maggie and what’s-his-name have been living together for years. They already have everything they need. The rest is just gravy.”
“Exactly! Gravy on my dime.” Dan cruised along, oblivious to Cora’s hand sneaking in next to his thigh.
He was so handsome. Cora caught herself thinking so more and more these days. Men were lucky that way — they only got better with age. Dan was stronger now than he’d been when they got married, and the grey sneaking in around his temples made him look inarguably distinguished. She wished he wouldn’t dye his hair. It would look better if the silver took over completely, but Dan had his pride. Everybody did.
When Cora’s fingers met the bare skin of his knee, he jumped and flicked her hand away. Cora was just about to feel hurt when he chuckled and said, “Sorry, I thought you were a spider.”
Cora smiled and moved in closer. “You know, you shouldn’t have teased Vanessa like that.”
“Like what?” Dan gasped
Joey mumbled, “Gay, ” and Vanessa punched him in the arm.
“Oww!” It must have been hard, because Joey dropped his video thingy. “Mom, Vanessa fucked up my game!”
“Language,” Cora chided before turning her gaze on Vanessa. “Ness, violence is not the answer.”
With a deep sigh, Vanessa leaned into her hoodie-pillow. “Whatever.”
Cora’s heart hurt now, as it did whenever the family argued. Her skin felt itchy, too, and she scratched her wrist until Dan set a big hand across her fingers, a silent but necessary chastisement. “Why don’t you see if we get a radio station out here?”
Good idea. Music would clear the air.
Cora fiddled with the dials until she picked up a strong signal. By some miracle of nature, the station played a perfect combination of adult contemporary and classic rock. The kids didn’t complain, and when Cora at last worked up the courage to turn around, she found that Vanessa had fallen asleep.
Even in those army-green pants and a T-shirt that read “Pussy Club, New Members Welcome,” Vanessa looked just like a doll. Such a pretty face. It was a shame she insisted on cutting her hair short, and refused to wear make-up.
Cora had once asked her daughter, “Why can’t you be a lipstick lesbian? You don’t have to look a fright just because you go out with girls.” But Vanessa had responded by bolting to her bedroom and slamming the door.
Joey had finally given his game a rest. Now he stared out the window as they drove past lichen-covered sheets of pink-hued rock. As much as she and Dan had complained about the cost of staying the whole weekend at some luxurious resort just to witness the marriage of their niece to a notorious good-for-nothing, she had to admit it was nice to get away from the city.
“Maybe we could rent a cottage this year.” Cora reached forward to turn down the volume on the radio. Joey was now snoring in the back seat, a perfect complement to his sister on the other side of the car. “A little cabin on a lake, just the two of us?”
Dan didn’t seem to take the hint. “All in all, this weekend’s gonna eat up our vacation budget for the year.”
“Yeah.” With a resigned sigh, Cora gazed out the window, watching the rock face recede and pine trees rise up in its place.
“Doesn’t seem right to ask the family to dish out all this money just to come to their wedding,” Dan said. “Bad enough we had to buy them a four-hundred-dollar sugar bowl.”
Cora laughed. “It wasn’t four hundred dollars, and it wasn’t a sugar bowl.”
“We didn’t go overboard like this when we got married. We registered for the basics, for things we really needed.”
“But we were establishing a household,” Cora reasoned, watching the firm line of her husband’s jaw as he chewed on her words. “Maggie and what’s-his-name have been living together for years. They already have everything they need. The rest is just gravy.”
“Exactly! Gravy on my dime.” Dan cruised along, oblivious to Cora’s hand sneaking in next to his thigh.
He was so handsome. Cora caught herself thinking so more and more these days. Men were lucky that way — they only got better with age. Dan was stronger now than he’d been when they got married, and the grey sneaking in around his temples made him look inarguably distinguished. She wished he wouldn’t dye his hair. It would look better if the silver took over completely, but Dan had his pride. Everybody did.
When Cora’s fingers met the bare skin of his knee, he jumped and flicked her hand away. Cora was just about to feel hurt when he chuckled and said, “Sorry, I thought you were a spider.”
Cora smiled and moved in closer. “You know, you shouldn’t have teased Vanessa like that.”
“Like what?” Dan gasped
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