has the same dated furniture,is similarly dusty and unkempt, and has the same musty smell. There’s also a faint hint of garlic, not unlike Nana and Granpop’s house—Lucy’s parents. I’m glad those two live in Queens, as it would be beyond odd to have four sets of grandparents living in Florida.
Having three is strange enough.
George leads us into the kitchen, where an old woman is standing with a cup of tea. When she seesHillary, her eyes widen, and she shakily puts her cup down on the counter.
When she speaks, her voice sounds bitter. “Is this what it takes to get you to visit? One of us needs to suffer?”
“Nice to see you too, Anne,” Hillary says coolly. “Can you tell me what you and George are talking about? What’s wrong with Ronald?”
“You won’t call him Dad, even now?” Anne picks up her tea again, her witheredhands cradling the cup as if deriving comfort from it.
“ Mom , what’s wrong with Dad? ” Hillary asks, managing to make those usually warm words sound empty.
“Come, I’ll show you,” Anne says. “But leave your Unencumbered plaything in the kitchen. Seeing him will upset your father too much.”
Is she talking about me? “I am not—”
“He’s not Unencumbered,” Hillary says. “He’s actually a powerful Guidethat Daddy would approve of.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, my newfound grandmother walks out of the kitchen.
As we go deeper into the house, a new smell permeates the air, that of some kind of medicine. We enter a large master bedroom. In the middle is something that looks like a hospital bed, with an old man lying in it, his expression that of a scowl.
“You’re too early,” he says to Hillary,his voice raspy. “I’m not dead yet.”
“Hello to you too, Dad,” Hillary says. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“You really don’t know?” Anne furrows her brow at her daughter. “You didn’t come here to gloat at your father’s pain?”
Hillary looks as if her mother slapped her.
“We came here because I need to meet with the Elders,” I say, getting aggravated.
Hillary puts a hand on my armand says, “We think his Reach is high enough to be considered—”
“He’s a potential?” Her father’s expression visibly softens. “Are you telling me you married someone who suits your station?”
“We’re not—”
“—going to discuss anything until I learn what happened to you,” Hillary says, this time squeezing my arm.
“What’s there to tell?” Ronald says bitterly. “I fell.”
“And broke his hip,” Anneadds. “Don’t forget that part.”
“I see,” Hillary says, her small face unreadable. “How bad is it?”
“He had surgery,” George says, stepping closer to the bed. “After some physical therapy, he might be able to walk again.”
“Did you want to tell us anything else?” her father asks. “Besides this lad”—he glances at me—“being a potential?”
Hillary’s jaw tightens. “What do you want to hear, Dad?That I found someone better than George?” She casts a derisive look at the man in question. “Yes, I have. I have a man, and I’m happy.”
She squeezes my arm again, but at this point, I know to keep my mouth shut.
“That’s good,” Ronald says, his eyes watering. “We always wanted—”
“—to make sure that I didn’t embarrass you,” Hillary says. “That I did my duty.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing,”my grandmother says.
“I think we should let Ronald rest,” George says. “Let’s go back to the kitchen.”
“I’ll stay here with my husband,” Anne says, approaching the bed. “I’m sure George can help with this Elders business better than I can, since I would’ve had to call him for you anyway.”
“It was nice to see you,” Ronald says to Hillary. “I hoped I’d get the chance to before . . .” He swallows.
“I’m sorry you’re hurt,” Hillary says, her usually expressive face showing almost no emotion. Before they can
Having three is strange enough.
George leads us into the kitchen, where an old woman is standing with a cup of tea. When she seesHillary, her eyes widen, and she shakily puts her cup down on the counter.
When she speaks, her voice sounds bitter. “Is this what it takes to get you to visit? One of us needs to suffer?”
“Nice to see you too, Anne,” Hillary says coolly. “Can you tell me what you and George are talking about? What’s wrong with Ronald?”
“You won’t call him Dad, even now?” Anne picks up her tea again, her witheredhands cradling the cup as if deriving comfort from it.
“ Mom , what’s wrong with Dad? ” Hillary asks, managing to make those usually warm words sound empty.
“Come, I’ll show you,” Anne says. “But leave your Unencumbered plaything in the kitchen. Seeing him will upset your father too much.”
Is she talking about me? “I am not—”
“He’s not Unencumbered,” Hillary says. “He’s actually a powerful Guidethat Daddy would approve of.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, my newfound grandmother walks out of the kitchen.
As we go deeper into the house, a new smell permeates the air, that of some kind of medicine. We enter a large master bedroom. In the middle is something that looks like a hospital bed, with an old man lying in it, his expression that of a scowl.
“You’re too early,” he says to Hillary,his voice raspy. “I’m not dead yet.”
“Hello to you too, Dad,” Hillary says. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“You really don’t know?” Anne furrows her brow at her daughter. “You didn’t come here to gloat at your father’s pain?”
Hillary looks as if her mother slapped her.
“We came here because I need to meet with the Elders,” I say, getting aggravated.
Hillary puts a hand on my armand says, “We think his Reach is high enough to be considered—”
“He’s a potential?” Her father’s expression visibly softens. “Are you telling me you married someone who suits your station?”
“We’re not—”
“—going to discuss anything until I learn what happened to you,” Hillary says, this time squeezing my arm.
“What’s there to tell?” Ronald says bitterly. “I fell.”
“And broke his hip,” Anneadds. “Don’t forget that part.”
“I see,” Hillary says, her small face unreadable. “How bad is it?”
“He had surgery,” George says, stepping closer to the bed. “After some physical therapy, he might be able to walk again.”
“Did you want to tell us anything else?” her father asks. “Besides this lad”—he glances at me—“being a potential?”
Hillary’s jaw tightens. “What do you want to hear, Dad?That I found someone better than George?” She casts a derisive look at the man in question. “Yes, I have. I have a man, and I’m happy.”
She squeezes my arm again, but at this point, I know to keep my mouth shut.
“That’s good,” Ronald says, his eyes watering. “We always wanted—”
“—to make sure that I didn’t embarrass you,” Hillary says. “That I did my duty.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing,”my grandmother says.
“I think we should let Ronald rest,” George says. “Let’s go back to the kitchen.”
“I’ll stay here with my husband,” Anne says, approaching the bed. “I’m sure George can help with this Elders business better than I can, since I would’ve had to call him for you anyway.”
“It was nice to see you,” Ronald says to Hillary. “I hoped I’d get the chance to before . . .” He swallows.
“I’m sorry you’re hurt,” Hillary says, her usually expressive face showing almost no emotion. Before they can
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