Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,57

stomach rumbled as she took in the carb and fat laden foods. Hotdogs. Mac and Cheese. French fries. Oh Lord. She hadn’t had this much starch in years.

She should probably go unload the car.

But then she saw the look in her sister’s eyes and knew this was a test.

A test of the emergency sister system. This was her sister’s reality, and she would either blend in, or she could go on back to California and John and all the uncertainty there and leave Anna alone to figure this mess out on her own.

Cass put her purse on the floor in front of the couch and then sat down at the table Justine had readied.

“You did a great job, sweetie,” Cass said.

Justine shrugged. “Momma did it. She does everything,” she said pointedly as she plopped into the seat across from her little sister and narrowed her eyes at Cass making it clear she wasn’t exactly thrilled with her aunt’s visit.

Anna put Dani in the highchair and then sat a blue plastic Cookie Monster plate loaded with cheesy noodles in front of the baby.

Dani giggled gleefully and dug in with a pink plastic spoon and her fingers.

Cass looked to the back of the house, but Anna guessed her question. “Go ahead and eat. You can see Momma in a few minutes. She’s probably sleeping right now anyway.”

Anna poured her a tall cup of iced tea, and Cass sipped the sweet drink she hadn’t tasted in years.

“Gran sleeps all the time, Auntie. It’s like Sleeping Beauty, ‘cept Gran’s old sorta. She needs a Prince Charming like Uncle John.”

Somehow Cass kept the pain from showing. At least she thought she did until Anna’s eyes met hers, and Cass saw the questions, the surprise, and then the quick smack of silent sympathy.

“Don’t be dumb, Delia. Gran’s sick. She’s not Sleeping Beauty.” Justine shook her head in older sister aggravation.

“I’m not dumb. And Gran’s not either sick. She just needed Auntie Cass to come home, huh Momma?”

“Oh honey.” Anna looked like she wanted to say more. Instead she pointed her fork at the plate in front of Delia. “Eat your supper.”

But Delia wouldn’t be put off. “You said, Momma. You said Auntie….”

Cass wondered what exactly Anna’d said, but Anna didn’t let Delia finish. “Eat. Now.”

Delia huffed and started to eat but stopped after a few seconds, a triumphant look on her face.

“You were right, Momma. Auntie Cass is Wonder Woman.”

And before Cass could figure out that cryptic statement, Delia was out of her seat and running across the living room.

“Gran. Gran. You’re up. Killer missed you, and I did too. We’re having Mac’roni and Cheese, and Auntie Cass is here, and that’s a miracle just like in the Bible. Come eat, Gran. You can sit by me.”

*****

Anna’s breath caught when she looked, really looked, at her mother standing there stoop shouldered, arms around Delia.

Her skin was white, almost translucent. Dark shadows shaded the swollen skin under her eyes, eyes that used to sparkle with fun and excitement.

What on earth drove her mother to such dangerous lows? Was it the past two years? Was it her? The newspaper stories, the court battles, the therapy sessions, the loss of one job and then another and another because bosses didn’t understand.

Anna shook her head. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t understand, so how could they?

Momma took a step forward, embraced first Cass and then her. Just like always. Strangely, after all this time, it still hurt.

“Hey Momma.” Anna wanted to touch her mother’s pale cheek gently. Beg her to stay up. To play Chutes and Ladders with the kids and throw a ball or two at the dog going crazy around her feet. To go to that uptight church of hers for prayer meeting. Anything. “Sure looks like Killer missed you.”

“Here, Momma.” Cass jumped up from her seat and pointed. “You sit. I’ll get you a plate.”

And there she went, taking charge just like always. As if she hadn’t checked out on them the day she left without a backwards glance. Cass walked right to the cabinet plates had always been in and took down one of the pretty tea rose dishes she’d sent for Christmas a few years back.

Justine’d used all the plain old white ones to prove she didn’t care about Cass’s presents, so the pretty ones were all that were left.

Cass carried the plate and a glass to the table and Momma reached out and grabbed her wrist like it was some sort of link to