Read Online The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake - Free Book Online Page A

chip.
    Char snagged a tortilla with her tongs and dropped it in the hot oil. “She died a
     year after Jimmy and I married. We were living in an apartment on the other side of
     town. Daddy hated living alone and asked us to move in within a couple of months.”
    “Did that seem weird to you?”
    Remembering, Char absently flipped the tortilla, watching to be sure it didn’t spatter.
     “It was a mixed blessing. On one hand, it made me miss my mom more. I felt for the
     longest time that I’d turn a corner and see her. Especially here, in the kitchen.
    “On the other hand, I was glad to come home. It was fun, in the beginning, setting
     up a new home for Jimmy and me at the apartment. But after a while, it was hard to
     find enough to fill my days.”
    “You didn’t work?’ Bella looked at her like an entomologist studies a new species
     of bug. “Damn, I thought June Cleaver died. Or at least retired.”
    “Why is it, in this modern age, when women are free to choose any career, I get grief
     for wanting to be a housewife?” Char bit back an apology for her snippy tone and dropped
     another warm tortilla to the pile in the ceramic container and replaced the lid.
    “Old bruise, huh?” Bella picked up the bowl of chips and salsa and carried them to
     the table.
    “A bit. Girls in high school were the worst. They thought I was crazy for not wanting
     to go to college.” She took the tortilla cache to the table and returned for the enchilada
     platter. “All I wanted since I was little was to have a home of my own to take care
     of, a husband, and lots of kids. What good is liberation if I don’t get to do what
     I want?”
    “Hey, I think you should do what makes you tingle, Honey.” Bella carried the small
     crock of refried beans to the table, then sat across from Char. “Besides, you’re good
     at it. Your house is one of those places where people feel at home the minute they
     walk in, you know?” She scanned the mother lode on the table. “And if this is as good
     as it smells, your name changes to Betty Crocker anyway.”
    Char shot her a mock stern look before bowing her head briefly over her plate, then
     pulled the red checked cloth napkin from beside her plate and set it in her lap. “I’d
     rather be Charla Rae Denny, thanks all the same.”
    Bella dug in. When the first forkful hit her mouth, she closed her eyes and moaned.
     “This is fabulous.”
    Char colored. “It’s not even homemade. I had to use chicken strips and canned enchilada
     sauce. I haven’t had the time—”
    Bella chewed a tortilla. “Oh, bull. These are from scratch. I’ve never eaten a homemade
     tortilla, and even
I
know that.”
    Char snorted. “Well, of course. My mother’s spirit wouldn’t let me through the door
     with a store-bought tortilla.”
    Bella ate small bites with relish.
    Char lifted a forkful of enchilada and chewed.
Mediocre. It’s better with Mom’s sauce.
    “What did you want to be when you grew up, Bella?”
    “Thin.” She spoke quickly, her sharp tone revealing an exposed nerve. She nibbled
     at a tortilla but couldn’t quite avoid Char’s look.
    Char raised an eyebrow.
    Bella put down her fork and, lifting her arm, skimmedher sleeve up to the shoulder. A fine pencil line of white scar tissue ran along the
     underside, armpit to elbow.
    “Oh, my gosh. What happened?”
    “I had bariatric surgery two years ago.” Bella pulled her sleeve down. “When you lose
     two hundred pounds, the skin can’t keep up. Had to have the seams taken in.”
    Char’s jaw dropped. She pictured the perfect heart-shape butt swiveling in front of
     her in Walmart.
    “I was the fat girl in school. I was born at fifteen pounds and never stopped gaining.”
     Bella patted her mouth with her napkin, then dropped it beside her plate and leaned
     back in the chair. “You finish eating. I’ll tell you the story.”
    Char put a tortilla in her open mouth to cover her shock and forced herself to chew.
    Bella