Rule #9 (23 page)

4. I will give Massie as much time as she needs to work through this. I will not rush her. She can take all the time she needs. In fact, she may never like me. That is her prerogative.

5. My dad and I need to give her more space.

I will follow these rules—Alicia

“I’m going back to the hospital. Do you have a phone now?” Alicia asks.

I shake my head. “Two to four business days.”

Alicia pats my leg and hops off the couch. “Come with me.”

I follow her to their room, a place I’ve never seen. It’s a room that I’ve purposely stayed away from. It’s simple. Sage walls and fluffy white comforters that match the ones Alicia purchased for me. Neutral brown and cream throws break up the white. Her father’s pottery is scattered throughout. The framed print of the flower that my father drew hangs above the bed.

“It’s pretty. He really did find your essence, didn’t he?” I say.

Alicia pauses. She looks at the flower. “I’m not sure what the flower’s essence is.”

“Not the flower’s essence, your essence,” I correct her.

“What?” her eyes focus on the print.

“The flower reminds him of you. Don’t ask how I know. I just know. But the flower is tall and secure with itself. Unusual. I mean it in a good way. Fragrant and peaceful. My father doesn’t draw anything random. He really does love you, Alicia.”

I’ve caught her off guard. Thankfully she doesn’t comment. That would be too weird. I don’t know why I’ve shared this with her, but she should know that he really does love her.

Alicia opens her nightstand and tosses two old phones onto the perfectly made bed. “They both suck. Pick one. At least you’ll be connected with the world for the next couple of days.”

I grab the pink flip phone. I love it. I always wanted one and never got one. Just like I really wanted to order that smartphone. I won’t get that either. “Thanks. I’ll need to relearn how to text without a keypad.”

“I’m sure it won’t take long,” Alicia says.

“Will you tell your dad—” The words come out choppy.

“Oh, I forgot one rule,” she interrupts me. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. “That’s my Papi. But you make him happy, his face lights up when he talks about you or when you walk into the room. So you’ll need to tell him whatever it is—yourself.” She holds the door open, “Are you coming or not?”

#

I stand on the hard, sterile tile, leaning against the wall in the white room, looking at Benny. The hospital bed is propped up but he’s sleeping. Alicia went out for more coffee. We have been here at the hospital for over an hour. I chased her out the door when she left the house. I had to see him. Dad’s still at football practice. His butt should be here with his wife. But my father can’t deal with these things. Hospitals make him queasy. My mom said he barely survived my birth. What a wimp.

“Hijita?" Benny opens his eyes.

I stand by side of his bed. “I thought I was gonna lose you,” I say.

“Not a chance. I’m a stubborn old man. I‘m not ready to leave this world. I plan on staying a while.” He pats my hand. He’s cold.

I rub his hand.

“If you want to stay, your food choices will change, Papi.” Alicia’s heels click into the room. She’s holding two large cups of coffee. “It’s decaf, get used to it.” She hands me a cup, winking.

“I see how it is. Don’t think I didn’t see that.” Benny tries his best to sound mad. “What, different rules for me, and you all get to do whatever you want?”

I take a sip of the vanilla latte. It’s from the cart on the main floor. It’s weak and has lots of foam.

“Do as I say, Papi, not as I do. I learned from the best.” She kisses the top of his head. He steals her cup and takes a swig. He’s proud of himself. It’s like he’s gotten away with something. He swallows and winces. “You
would
get herbal tea. You’re so much like your mother.”

I back out of the room slowly so the two of them can spend time alone. Alicia needs time alone with her dad. That’s something I clearly understand. I just want to share him. He’s the grandfather I don’t have that I now so desperately want. It’s funny how everything is twisted and messed up. I feel like those bite-sized licorice, twisted, cut up and thrown in a bag, not able to find the other parts of me. I’m not sure if I want them back, but I can’t connect to the other pieces. And I want to.

Alicia slides out of the room. “He wants to talk you before you leave.” Then she whispers, “I stashed my real coffee in the waiting room. You go in while I go get my caffeine fix.”

I sit stiffly in the chair next to the bed. It’s hard for me to relax. Benny’s eyes remain closed. I’m not sure if he’s fallen back asleep. I don’t want to wake him. Alicia had told me the next few days would strain him and he would need his rest.

“I’m sorry, hijita. It’s hard for me to keep my eyes open. I want you to know that I fought for you. I fought for me, but for you too. My only wish is to become a grandfather. You may not be ready and I’m okay with that. I’ll wait. But you, child, are my only chance, and even if there was another chance, there isn’t another child out there that could fill your shoes. So I needed time, and my Lord is giving me that time. I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep living for you.” He drifts back into sleep. His chest moves in sync with his steady breath.

I kiss the top of his head and whisper, “I love you, Abuelo.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Alicia schedules a meeting on Friday night with me, Natalie, and Vianna. It’s a bye week, which means there are no football games. This also means my dad’s out scouting South Suburban High School. He takes his video camera and tapes the upcoming team so he can find their weaknesses. The following week he’ll spend every waking hour that he isn’t at work going over, around, and through the video. He won’t miss a single play. What my father will miss is the pain in his wife’s face and the black circles under her eyes because she’s not getting the sleep she needs.

Alicia goes to work every day. She visits her dad every day at the hospital. She makes sure my father and I eat daily. These meals don’t come from local takeout menus, either. She prepares them herself. She fixes up Benny’s room and hires a nurse for Benny so that he can come home. This nurse will later leave the house screaming in some foreign language none of us understands because Benny will not listen to her. Yet Alicia still finds time to invite me and my friends over to devise the plan.

When Natalie, Vianna, and I arrive, we find our mothers. Yes, even mine! I race to my mom like I did when she picked me up from school on my first day of kindergarten. She hugs me tight, inhaling my smell, smoothing my hair. I’ve never doubted her love for one second of one day during her absence. I know it killed her to leave me, but she also trusted my dad and Alicia. Had she not trusted them, she never would’ve left me in the first place. And she wouldn’t have stayed the extra time. I didn’t fight it. I was glad to be able to hang out with Benny more. I was the only one who was able to scold him without him yelling back.

The women in the room laugh and enjoy themselves like they’ve known each other for years, including Alicia. Looking at the dirty dishes in the sink confirms my suspicions: they’ve been plotting without us for hours. “What’s going on here?” I ask.

“This was my idea,” Alicia says. “I don’t want to be part of the stereotypical stepmother group. I don’t want to replace your mom. I don’t want you girls to hate me, especially you, Massie.”

“It’s not like that.” I say.

Not anymore.

“And, most of all—” She won’t let me speak. “—I want those women to stop treating you girls like you’re the enemy. I want them to stop setting you up. They need to grow up.”

We eat. We laugh. We talk. I go home almost reluctantly. I don’t want to leave Benny. But it’s good for Alicia. She won’t feel the need to worry about dinners. My mom told her to make my father fend for himself. “It’ll be good for him,” my mom says. I agreed. Since my father won’t stop his world for Alicia, she shouldn’t stop her world for him.

Bianca brings dinners for Benny and Alicia—and my dad. Bianca’s a vegetarian, and that diet turns out to be pretty good for Benny. But when Bianca talks about hot yoga, Benny’s not so sure about that one. I don’t even want to know. Hot yoga and old people? Sounds pretty disgusting. Just saying.

When I plant my head on my pillow, I feel something hard against my cheek. A pink case covers the new smartphone my mom left on my bed. I, unlike Vianna, love the color pink. And I love my mom.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Friday night, the lights are bright. I can see my breath when I let the air out of my lungs. I’m bundled in layers of clothes. I’m warm. Life is good. Vianna, Natalie, and I huddle close in the stands, drinking our hot chocolate. Alicia brought a thermos full of the sweet creamy liquid. My dad even decorated our paper cups, mine and Alicia’s. He drew a picture of me and him on mine: my dad’s handing me a flower, a perfect orange hibiscus. On the other side of the cup he wrote
I love you baby girl. Most!
Alicia’s cup has a simple heart with a
U
in the middle. Finally he’s paying attention to both of us.

Titans lead 21–0 at the half. I feel sorry for the other team. Two of their best players are out with injuries. Jack won’t play the second half. The JV will receive the playing time they’re always hungering for because of the lead. Alicia invited the stepmonsters and their husbands to the game. The men love the action. Their wives, not so much. The stepmonsters look miserable bundled up in their winter gear.

As instructed, at halftime the three of us walk past the stepmonsters on the east side of the stadium. Vianna, Natalie, and I are linked together—because Rule Number Nine:
Together we are stronger
. We hold each other up, Vianna on my right and Natalie on my left. If a tornado blew through, its force wouldn’t knock us over. We have strength together that even the elements can’t break.

Annabelle Moo-Moo jumps when she sees Natalie, not in fear but with excitement. Annabelle runs to her sister and grabs her leg. “Nattie! I miss you so much. I told my teacher what happened and she said you saved my life! You are the best big sister in the whole world. Will you please come to show and tell? Will you please?”

Natalie looks at her father and Stephanie for approval. Her dad grins and Stephanie nods her head. Natalie picks up her little sister and holds on tight. Natalie kisses her cheek with loud, huge smacks. “I would love to come to your show and tell.”

Wendy rolls her eyes like the stupid teenagers she’s always accusing us of being.

Stephanie doesn’t miss this look of annoyance. “Really, Wendy? Enough is enough.”

Wendy huffs. “What, now you’re siding with them?”

“Better than who you’re siding with.” Looks like Stephanie’s had enough. And she might know something the rest of us don’t.

Wendy’s eyes bulge. “Don’t go there.”

Stephanie stands. “I’m cold and I’m not having fun. Peter, you should stay, but me and Annabelle are gonna head home.” Stephanie pats Natalie’s shoulder.

Peter stands. “I’m ready to go.”

Natalie’s dad shakes Vianna’s father’s hand. “Buddy, we’ve really messed up.” Before Peter leaves, he stops in front of Natalie. He hugs Natalie tight. Natalie holds on to her father. She can’t stop smiling. Annabelle plunges in and hugs their legs. Natalie picks her up on one side and their dad grabs the other side. Annabelle wraps an arm around each of them for the cutest group hug ever, which I capture with the camera from my new smartphone. That will be posted very soon.

Wendy stands and demands that her husband leave, too. “I’m so over this. Whose stupid idea was this, anyway? Football annoys me almost as much as…” she doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead she glares at Vianna.

Vianna’s dad follows Wendy without saying anything to anyone, including his daughter.

Alicia winks at me, then whispers, “At least part of it is better.”

That doesn’t make me feel much better. I want all of us to be happy, not just two of us. The Contract of Three is just that: three, not two. Three.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

I’m nervous for the dinner at Lily’s. Lily doesn’t make me nervous, but meeting Jack’s stepmom, that terrifies me. She was at the game but I didn’t see her. I force my mother to sit through eight different outfit changes. As I toss the closes on to the floor, my mom picks them up and puts them back on hangers.

“Massie, it’s dinner,” my mom says, like this dinner will be the same as when she and I sit down and eat some frozen meal.

“Mom, I want her to like me,” I say, tossing another shirt onto my bed.

“Your clothes aren’t going to determine that,” my mother laughs.

“You of all people know that’s not true.”

“You’re not going over there looking like a prostitute, so I think it’ll all be okay, sweetie,” she says. “Wear the khaki capris. No, nix that, you’ll spill. Wear your jean capris and the black t-shirt I brought you from London. That way when you spill, nobody will notice.” She hands me the t-shirt.

“Mom, it’s cold. Where is that cool scarf you got me with the London flag on it?”

My mom pulls it off the hanger in my closet. I find a pair of black leggings, then make a draped skirt out of the scarf. It is short, but with the leggings I don’t look like a tramp. Then I pull out the black t-shirt with the London Flag on it. My short, black boots are comfy, so I slide them on. I look in my full-length mirror and then at my mom.

“Perfect,” she says.

#

I knock on the door with my right hand while holding a bouquet of flowers in my left. I chose the rust-colored petals at the local supermarket. They’re the ones Gaby always has at the store. The flowers last for weeks.

An older version of Lily opens the door. High cheekbones, full lips, and a smile that fills the state of Colorado are the giveaway that this is Lily’s mother, Jack’s stepmom—Sissy. “Hello darlin’, you must be Massie. Aren’t you a pretty thing? Come on in.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am. These are for you, ma’am.” I hand her the flowers. My mother told me to call her ma’am. It’s a Southern thing. I sound ridiculous.

“Jack, I like this girl,” she hollers into the house. Then she looks at me. “But you need to stop calling me ‘ma’am.’ When I become my mother, I’m gonna scream. Call me Sis.” She grabs hold of my arm and slides hers through it.

“Just don’t call her Sissy, that’s mine.” Jack walks into the foyer. The entire first floor is tiled. It’s warm and rustic. The walls are apricot. A large oak table sits in a room most would use as a living room. I swear twenty people could fit around that table with room to spare. The sitting room off to the side is much smaller but it fits two love seats and a couple of old antique chairs perfectly.

“Don’t hog my mom, you little brat.” Lily bumps Jack aside as we enter the kitchen. “Hi, Massie, you look adorable. Can I get you something to drink?”

Dinner’s amazing. We have Hot Brown sandwiches, the ones Jack told Benny and me about. Open-faced turkey and bacon with this rich, to-die-for gravy and pimentos on top. Pimentos are those red things they put in green olives. I don’t think Benny will be eating these sandwiches anytime soon. The bacon alone is off-limits.

The night’s perfect except when Jack tries to discuss the house hunting. Every time Jack brings it up, Sissy tells him she hasn’t found anything and they’ll talk about it later.

“I’m just trying to give you some ideas about close neighborhoods,” Jack says.

“I know, darlin’. We’ll discuss it later. Tell me about your family, Massie.” Sissy changes the subject.

“It’s mostly a short story. My mom and I live together. She’s single and my dad just recently got married to Alicia. I have an uncle but he doesn’t talk to my dad. That’s the long story,” I say. I don’t want to go there, even if everything is better.

“We have those too. Tell me about school.”

I’m relieved. School is much easier to talk about.

After dinner Jack shows me around the house, which includes his room. We walk in and he shuts the door. It’s tidy. There are football posters and a few pennants on the wall. His desk is the only thing that is a mess. Books, his wallet, four packs of cinnamon gum, and a dirty plate with a knife on it.

Sissy trails behind and opens the door but doesn’t come in. “I don’t think so, young man. She’s a nice girl and you will be a gentleman.”

I blush. I can’t even look at her, so I continue to scope out his room…and find a black-and-white print of me. It’s hanging on his wall. “When did you do this?” I walk over to it.

“I was making it the night we went back to the art shop. I was going to give it to your dad as a peace offering, but I couldn’t let it go. You form clay to make it, and then it comes out like a print on paper. I just started doing these. I thought about making your dad a copy, but you’re too sexy in it.” He grabs my hand and pulls me close.

Sissy clears her throat and I pull away.

“I know you were planning on going to the movies,” she says, “But I need to have a talk with Jack. Maybe tomorrow.”

Jack walks me out to my car. And even though the kiss is great, it’s nothing like the night before. I’m worried because I can tell he is, too.

#

As soon as I pull into my driveway, my phone explodes.

Text from Vianna:
Need someone to pick me up. Now please!

I toss my phone onto the passenger’s seat and back up. Natalie and I show up to Vianna’s house at the same time on opposite sides of the street. It’s dark but it looks like Vianna’s mother is standing in the front yard with her arms crossed, and Vianna’s father is calmly talking to a man in a uniform. I think there is a gun on his belt. There is one cop car on the side of the house and another cop car directly in front. Someone in the back seat of that car is throwing a fit. I look closer.

It’s Wendy. She looks like she’s kicking the back seat.

Natalie keeps her car at the end of the street. She gets out and quietly walks toward Vianna. When Natalie reaches our friend, she slips her arm around her and pulls her away. Vianna’s mom doesn’t miss a beat. She nods at Natalie. Vianna puts her head into Natalie’s shoulder. Natalie leads her to my car.

“Is it okay for you to go?” I ask.

“My mom insisted,” Vianna says.

As much as we want to know what’s going on, Natalie and I know better than to ask. Vianna will spill when she’s ready and not a minute sooner. The three of us get into my car. Natalie takes the back seat, which is something she rarely does when it’s the three of us. I drive to Pollywog’s and, after we order drinks, we sit at the square table nestled in the back of the shop. It’s quiet back here. It’s where Jack and I drew Pollywog Annabelle—which I gave to Natalie. She loved it. Then she gave it away to Annabelle, who loved it even more.

A group of people in the front play music. The guitar and fiddles are calming. A harmonica blends in. Vianna laughs. She hoots so hard that she snorts, then chokes. Natalie jumps up and rushes to the sink for water. “I’m
not
doing the mouth-to-mouth thing and my epipen won’t work for this, so you better breathe.” She rushes back and hands Vianna the half-filled glass of water.

Vianna laughs until her eyes water. She finally composes herself. “Wendy’s cheating on my dad.” She lifts her index finger motioning for us to wait while she takes a deep breath. “With her plastic surgeon.”

“Okay,” I say, moving forward, wanting more details.

“My mom met the plastic surgeon’s wife today at a book signing,” Vianna says.

“This is going to be good,” Natalie pipes in.

“The plastic surgeon’s wife caught Wendy and her husband—doing what, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. She knew about my mom’s book signing and waited at the end of the line. That’s when the wife spilled the news,” Vianna says.

“I bet your mom went nuts,” Natalie says, leaning in closer. Neither one of us wants to miss a single detail.

Vianna takes a deep breath. “I came home and my mom told me I needed to leave for a while. She and the doctor’s wife were visiting. My mom tried to get me out of there before my dad showed up. But neither one of you answered my texts,” Vianna says.

“Dinner with Jack’s mom,” I say.

“Storytime with Annabelle,” Natalie says. “Tyler came with me. He was so freaking cute. We read her
Green Eggs and Ham
. He read it really fast and Moo-Moo couldn’t stop laughing. Tyler’s actually perfect.” Natalie claps her hands together.

Vianna rolls her eyes. “For now. Some other bad-boy Colby type will come along and you two will be history. I say three months, tops.” Vianna looks at me. “What do you think?”

“Wow, you’re optimistic. I give it two,” I say.

“You both can kiss my ass,” Natalie stomps off. But she returns quickly to hear the rest of the story.

“My mom called my dad and asked him to come to the house. I think my mom knew he wouldn’t come alone. When my dad and Wendy showed up, my mom sent the doctor’s wife to answer the door. That’s when the screaming started,” Vianna says. She can’t stop laughing and the tears in her eyes keep producing just enough water to make them sparkle.

“When did the cops come?” Natalie asks.

“Wendy grabbed my mother’s hair, and I went in for the kill. My dad stopped me. My mom pushed her back, then my dad let go of me. My mother gave me that look. I knew better so I went inside. She followed me inside, locked the door, and then called the cops.”

“Wow, your mom has control. I would’ve pounded her ass.” Natalie makes a tight fist.

“My mom won’t let an insignificant woman bring her down. She isn’t built that way,” Vianna says proudly. “She worked too hard to allow some gelatin sensation bring her crashing to the bottom. And even though she was mad at my dad she wasn’t going to let Wendy bring him down either.”

“It’s not fair that everything is working out for us and you still have to deal with the shit,” Natalie says.

“Not really. My shit is going away too—in a police car.”

We all laugh.

“I’m glad I didn’t judge before I knew her. I tried, I gave her a chance and she still lost. Rule number nine: We can’t judge people before we know them.”

And the three of us decide that one is worth writing down.