Read Online Circle in the Sand by Lia Fairchild - Free Book Online

cautiously.
     “It’s not necessary to argue over this. You can all be mommies.” Then she paused,
     scanned across all three of our faces. “Better yet, why don’t you pretend you’re three
     career women living in a big mansion together? After all, you don’t have to be mommies
     if you don’t want to.”
    None of us said anything at first. I knew they were waiting for me to respond since
     it was my grandmother, but I didn’t know what to say. At last, Jax spoke up with her
     arms folded across her chest. “Emily wants to be a mommy. And I’m not gonna to live
     in some dumb mansion ever. I’m going to live in a cozy, little beach house.” She turned
     to head back to the playhouse, Emily and I following in her wake, holding our breath.
     Once inside, my grandmother said, “You live in your beach house. But you’d better
     have a damn good job because ocean-front property might as well be a mansion.” I thought
     she was mad at Jax’s outburst, but when I peeked out the play window, she was grinning. 
    Jax and I step into the lobby of Oak Grove, and it’s like visiting hours in Heaven.
     I try to place my finger on what sets me on edge. Is it the odd smell of over-used
     fabric softener? The myriad of assisted movement devices being hovered over by hunched
     backs? Maybe I’m imagining the looks they give me, as though I’ve somehow stolen their
     youth and inhaled it into my body during some sort of soul sucking binge.
    A gorgeous decorative fountain stands in the lobby slightly ahead of a check-in desk
     for visitors. Elevators on the right lead to the occupants’ private rooms, and in
     the back is the dining area as well as several activity rooms. Oak Grove is beautiful,
     but not the sort of place someone with our family’s money would end up in. But Grandmother
     Rose never did enjoy being alone, and she refused the home nursing set-up my father
     had suggested. This way, she can be surrounded by people, be near the ocean, and still
     have her every need met.
    I trail closely behind Jax, portraying a scared toddler, watching as the lurking eyes
     I see gleam her way accompanied with mostly toothy smiles. It’s obvious she spends
     a good deal of time here, and I’m already feeling guilty that she sees Rose more than
     I do. I will keep that emotion in my pocket, handy for when Grandmother starts in
     on me. I hope that will keep me from getting defensive. I don’t want another scene
     playing out like the last one when I came here with Dad. Sick or not, that woman knows
     where all the buttons are and exactly how to press them.
    I don’t recall the last compliment she gave me, but I’d be willing to bet it was veiled.
     Things were different when I was a little girl. Grandmother would come back from a
     business trip, bringing me something from each country she visited. She’d tell me
     all about its significance and why she picked it. She always seemed much happier after
     one of her trips. At the end of our conversation, she would hand me the gift and say,
     “Get a good job. Don’t wait for a man to take you around the world.”
    I can see Rose up ahead, seated next to the piano. I’m sure this means she expects
     Jax to play. A walker she didn’t need last time stands next to her chair, like a faithful
     servant. Her face lights up when she sees us, which strikes me as odd. She has never
     reacted to my presence that way. Not that she doesn’t love me, but I’ve never seen
     her get excited about anything, especially anything that had to do with me. Sadness
     hits me when I realize her joy must be in seeing Jax. They’ve grown so close lately.
    When we reach my grandmother, Jax slows her pace and lets me pass. The smile is still
     on Rose’s face. I go right over to her and lean down for a hug. “Hello, Grandmother,”
     I say quietly in her ear. “It’s good to see you.”
    This is where she usually tells me it’s about time I came for a visit, but when I
     pull back she