the floor.
We’ve
lost the way? Last Olivia checked, she was the kid in the relationship. Wasn’t it the parent’s job to
lead
the way?
“We don’t go to church. We never talk.”
Whose fault was that? Olivia had sure tried—at least early on. Though she had a lot to say, her face remained stone cold.
“And you’re slipping out of control.” Mom took a deep breath. “You took money from my purse, didn’t you?”
How did she know about that, and why hadn’t she brought it up before? “No! How could you accuse me of that?” Should have known. Mom was clueless about everything, but she would surely notice
money
.
“Olivia, I’m not stupid.” Mom sighed. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t realize a hundred-dollar bill had disappeared—more than once?”
Uh-oh
. “I’m sorry.”
“You stole money from my purse. You lied to me about where you were going to be. You drank alcohol—a lot, from the looks of things—and we both know this isn’t nearly the first time.” She gestured to Olivia’s face. “You smoked, too, I’m guessing. In fact, let me have your purse.”
Olivia clutched her bag to her chest. “Mom! This is my private property. How dare you?”
“You’re a minor, and you’re living in my house—nothing is private property.”
“This isn’t
your
house! It’s
Chuck’s
house. Nothing here is yours.” Olivia had never screamed at her mom like this. “You want it? Here!” She took her pack of cigarettes out of her bag right in plain view. Maybe if she fessed up to the cigarettes, Mom would think they were the only problem and not go digging around for more. Olivia thrust her bag at her mom and planted her fists on her hips.
“I really hate doing this.” Mom peered into the bag and shook it a few times to move the contents around. “Is there anything I should know about in this purse? You can spare us both the humiliation by just telling me now.”
“I’m not embarrassed at all. Have at it.” She leaned back against the counter and waited. As long as she didn’t look in the zipper pocket on the front of the purse.
“Olivia, I don’t want to have to search your things. How about you just come clean with me. What’s in here?”
“There’s nothing in there that would matter to you.” Beer tabs, cigarettes, matches … the marijuana. But so what? There wasn’t a thing Mom could do to her that would matter—if she even cared.
Mom sighed and pawed around in the bag for a minute, then zipped open the pocket on the front. She looked inside and gasped as she pulled out the baggie. She pinched it between two fingers and dangled it inches from Olivia’s face.
Mom’s dark circles looked magnified through the plastic.
“So it’s come to this, Liv?” She dumped it into the garbage disposal—bag and all. “We’re going to Colorado whether you want to or not. It’s only a visit—a tour of Diamond Estates.” She spoke matter-of-factly, leaving no room for debate. “Charles already knows I’ve been thinking about it. We’re leaving on Monday. It won’t be bad—maybe we’ll have a ski day or find a spa somewhere, but we’re going.”
Olivia stormed from the kitchen, a mallet shattering her heart with each stomp up the stairs. Slamming her bedroom door behind her, she flopped on her bed. No tears—experience had proven there was no point. No prayers—no one listened to them anyway. No dreams—they all turned to nightmares in the end. She’d bet anything Mom planned to buy Olivia a one-way ticket and not bring her home. After she booked a spa day for herself, of course.
Abandoned … first by God and now by Mom? Didn’t see that one coming
.
Chapter 9
T he airplane slipped beneath the fluffy clouds like a scalding fire poker through a marshmallow. What had been a sunny afternoon blanketed in white fluff turned into an angry day canopied with sinister storms. How could the clouds look so perfect and happy on one side but vengeful and dangerous on the
We’ve
lost the way? Last Olivia checked, she was the kid in the relationship. Wasn’t it the parent’s job to
lead
the way?
“We don’t go to church. We never talk.”
Whose fault was that? Olivia had sure tried—at least early on. Though she had a lot to say, her face remained stone cold.
“And you’re slipping out of control.” Mom took a deep breath. “You took money from my purse, didn’t you?”
How did she know about that, and why hadn’t she brought it up before? “No! How could you accuse me of that?” Should have known. Mom was clueless about everything, but she would surely notice
money
.
“Olivia, I’m not stupid.” Mom sighed. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t realize a hundred-dollar bill had disappeared—more than once?”
Uh-oh
. “I’m sorry.”
“You stole money from my purse. You lied to me about where you were going to be. You drank alcohol—a lot, from the looks of things—and we both know this isn’t nearly the first time.” She gestured to Olivia’s face. “You smoked, too, I’m guessing. In fact, let me have your purse.”
Olivia clutched her bag to her chest. “Mom! This is my private property. How dare you?”
“You’re a minor, and you’re living in my house—nothing is private property.”
“This isn’t
your
house! It’s
Chuck’s
house. Nothing here is yours.” Olivia had never screamed at her mom like this. “You want it? Here!” She took her pack of cigarettes out of her bag right in plain view. Maybe if she fessed up to the cigarettes, Mom would think they were the only problem and not go digging around for more. Olivia thrust her bag at her mom and planted her fists on her hips.
“I really hate doing this.” Mom peered into the bag and shook it a few times to move the contents around. “Is there anything I should know about in this purse? You can spare us both the humiliation by just telling me now.”
“I’m not embarrassed at all. Have at it.” She leaned back against the counter and waited. As long as she didn’t look in the zipper pocket on the front of the purse.
“Olivia, I don’t want to have to search your things. How about you just come clean with me. What’s in here?”
“There’s nothing in there that would matter to you.” Beer tabs, cigarettes, matches … the marijuana. But so what? There wasn’t a thing Mom could do to her that would matter—if she even cared.
Mom sighed and pawed around in the bag for a minute, then zipped open the pocket on the front. She looked inside and gasped as she pulled out the baggie. She pinched it between two fingers and dangled it inches from Olivia’s face.
Mom’s dark circles looked magnified through the plastic.
“So it’s come to this, Liv?” She dumped it into the garbage disposal—bag and all. “We’re going to Colorado whether you want to or not. It’s only a visit—a tour of Diamond Estates.” She spoke matter-of-factly, leaving no room for debate. “Charles already knows I’ve been thinking about it. We’re leaving on Monday. It won’t be bad—maybe we’ll have a ski day or find a spa somewhere, but we’re going.”
Olivia stormed from the kitchen, a mallet shattering her heart with each stomp up the stairs. Slamming her bedroom door behind her, she flopped on her bed. No tears—experience had proven there was no point. No prayers—no one listened to them anyway. No dreams—they all turned to nightmares in the end. She’d bet anything Mom planned to buy Olivia a one-way ticket and not bring her home. After she booked a spa day for herself, of course.
Abandoned … first by God and now by Mom? Didn’t see that one coming
.
Chapter 9
T he airplane slipped beneath the fluffy clouds like a scalding fire poker through a marshmallow. What had been a sunny afternoon blanketed in white fluff turned into an angry day canopied with sinister storms. How could the clouds look so perfect and happy on one side but vengeful and dangerous on the
Similar Books
