a family of drunken rednecks, and you need to prove yourself to this speck on the map.”
“That was low.”
“Maybe.”
Beth turned away. “That was really low.” She wrapped her arms around herself and her voice sounded tight.
James swallowed. His grandmother would have given him a sharp slap across the mouth for saying something like that if she were in her right mind. “Beth, I’m sorry. That was out of line.” He put a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away. “Aunt Jean told me about your family last night. It sounds like a rough way to grow up.”
“Ha! You have no idea. The whole town expected me to get knocked up by Johnny McMannus or Tim Fitzroy before I turned fifteen.”
James wondered if Johnny McMannus was the guy who had the heart attack yesterday. If it was the same guy, that was downright creepy. He pushed the whole image out of his mind. “I’m really sorry. And I’m sorry you thought I came here to spy on you. I really did just come to visit.”
Beth sniffled. “Okay, just show me this so-called mistake.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Stop saying that.” Beth spun around. Her eyes were red rimmed but lit with more familiar anger. “It’s not nothing.”
“But it’s just a little mistake.”
“And getting Nonie up and dressed this morning. That’s not nothing either.”
“I was trying to help out. I thought I was doing a good thing.”
“It’s my responsibility.” She thumped her fist on her chest so hard it sounded like a drum.
“Hey, stop that. It hurts to hear.” James grabbed her hands. “Calm down. I’m not here to take your job or your place.”
Beth fell apart in a shower of hysterics. Her knees gave out, and James had to grab her before she hit the floor. Cradling her in his arms like he was about to carry her over a threshold, he looked around the room for a place to set her down. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip, sobbing, before he could kick a chair out from the table and set her in it. In the living room, Aunt Jean had a recliner beside the window and a couch along the opposite wall. James opted for the couch. When he tried to lay her down, she clutched at his neck until he unwound her arms. Then he stepped back wondering if he should pat her on the shoulder and say “there, there.” Saying nothing seemed wrong, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He sat on the floor in front of her, wallowing in guilt for having caused the outburst.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” Beth hiccuped. She sat up wiping her eyes.
“You? I’m sorry I brought it up. I’m sorry I ever came here. I didn’t know you were going to get so upset that I got Nonie up this morning. Or that I found a mistake on Aunt Jean’s taxes.” James bit his lip. He knew he should think she was acting like a big ninny for weeping and wailing over a couple of transposed digits, but he didn’t.
“It’s stupid. I shouldn’t get upset about this stuff.” She turned to put her feet on the floor and straightened her back. “I need to get it together.”
“It’s okay.” James shifted to sit beside her. “It’s hard, isn’t it?”
“What?” She cocked her head looking at him. Her cheeks were still sticky with tears, but she’d stopped crying. Her Jekyll personality reasserted itself with lightning speed.
“Taking care of them. Making sure Nonie brushes her teeth every morning and keeping track of all their bills. Planning outings for them to keep them from moldering.” James looked at his hands. “I should have come back sooner. Visited at least. They’re my family.”
“All right. I’ve been to this pity party before.” Beth stood up. “I’ve spent a lot of nights sitting by myself listening to Nonie walk around over my head, thinking I should have done more or sooner or something, and now I’m going to lose the only people in the world who really care about me and I’m going to die alone and unloved. Yada yada yada.”
“Alone and unloved?”
“That was low.”
“Maybe.”
Beth turned away. “That was really low.” She wrapped her arms around herself and her voice sounded tight.
James swallowed. His grandmother would have given him a sharp slap across the mouth for saying something like that if she were in her right mind. “Beth, I’m sorry. That was out of line.” He put a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away. “Aunt Jean told me about your family last night. It sounds like a rough way to grow up.”
“Ha! You have no idea. The whole town expected me to get knocked up by Johnny McMannus or Tim Fitzroy before I turned fifteen.”
James wondered if Johnny McMannus was the guy who had the heart attack yesterday. If it was the same guy, that was downright creepy. He pushed the whole image out of his mind. “I’m really sorry. And I’m sorry you thought I came here to spy on you. I really did just come to visit.”
Beth sniffled. “Okay, just show me this so-called mistake.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Stop saying that.” Beth spun around. Her eyes were red rimmed but lit with more familiar anger. “It’s not nothing.”
“But it’s just a little mistake.”
“And getting Nonie up and dressed this morning. That’s not nothing either.”
“I was trying to help out. I thought I was doing a good thing.”
“It’s my responsibility.” She thumped her fist on her chest so hard it sounded like a drum.
“Hey, stop that. It hurts to hear.” James grabbed her hands. “Calm down. I’m not here to take your job or your place.”
Beth fell apart in a shower of hysterics. Her knees gave out, and James had to grab her before she hit the floor. Cradling her in his arms like he was about to carry her over a threshold, he looked around the room for a place to set her down. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip, sobbing, before he could kick a chair out from the table and set her in it. In the living room, Aunt Jean had a recliner beside the window and a couch along the opposite wall. James opted for the couch. When he tried to lay her down, she clutched at his neck until he unwound her arms. Then he stepped back wondering if he should pat her on the shoulder and say “there, there.” Saying nothing seemed wrong, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He sat on the floor in front of her, wallowing in guilt for having caused the outburst.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” Beth hiccuped. She sat up wiping her eyes.
“You? I’m sorry I brought it up. I’m sorry I ever came here. I didn’t know you were going to get so upset that I got Nonie up this morning. Or that I found a mistake on Aunt Jean’s taxes.” James bit his lip. He knew he should think she was acting like a big ninny for weeping and wailing over a couple of transposed digits, but he didn’t.
“It’s stupid. I shouldn’t get upset about this stuff.” She turned to put her feet on the floor and straightened her back. “I need to get it together.”
“It’s okay.” James shifted to sit beside her. “It’s hard, isn’t it?”
“What?” She cocked her head looking at him. Her cheeks were still sticky with tears, but she’d stopped crying. Her Jekyll personality reasserted itself with lightning speed.
“Taking care of them. Making sure Nonie brushes her teeth every morning and keeping track of all their bills. Planning outings for them to keep them from moldering.” James looked at his hands. “I should have come back sooner. Visited at least. They’re my family.”
“All right. I’ve been to this pity party before.” Beth stood up. “I’ve spent a lot of nights sitting by myself listening to Nonie walk around over my head, thinking I should have done more or sooner or something, and now I’m going to lose the only people in the world who really care about me and I’m going to die alone and unloved. Yada yada yada.”
“Alone and unloved?”
Similar Books
