of it. More so in her teens and early twenties, but there was still an element of her desire to be “now” in everything she did. She’d hook onto some fashion trend and be all about it until something else landed in the spotlight.
“Love isn’t like that,” Poppy murmured, feeling even worse for her sister. “When you fall in love with someone, you don’t care about what else might be out there. You only want to keep what you have, to hold onto it.”
“You didn’t. You tried to get Turner to leave.”
“That was different,” Poppy said. “I told him to go because I thought it was best for him. I was willing to sacrifice him for his wellbeing. I wasn’t thinking about being with another man. I wouldn’t be interested in any other man whether Turner was here or not.”
“She hates all of this.”
“We all do,” Poppy said, giving her sister a hug. “We have to stick together. If there’s one thing I’ve learned the Maddox family do better than us it’s acceptance. Whatever happens, we have to be here for each other. It’s going to be difficult for Violet, just like it will be difficult for Mom and Dad, but we’re going to support each other.”
“It’s a shame the Maddox people have to see this.”
Poppy leaned away from their embrace to show her sister a smile. “They’re with us.”
On a gasp, Primrose struggled to back away. “Oh my God! Did you tell all of them?”
“No. I haven’t seen anyone today except you, Preston, and Turner. And, as far as I know, Turner went straight to work, so he hasn’t seen anyone either. I don’t need to tell them what’s going on to know that they’ll support us.”
Even when Charley was mad at her and at Turner, she still came to support her family. When her family tried to make her see that David wasn’t the best partner for her, despite remaining unconvinced, Charley didn’t dismiss her family out of hand.
Charley. On top of everything else, Poppy would have to make time for her friend. And Zoey. Inviting Casey to the estate was definitely the right move. After revealing such profound news about herself, Zoey probably had a lot of thoughts to process. Val would be there for her, Faye too, but neither would be a substitute for the woman she loved.
“You’re really lucky,” Primrose said, relaxing. “They do seem like great people.”
“They are the best people and Preston is like family to them.” Her sister wasn’t impressed, but Poppy laughed. “I’m just saying, if there’s something there, it might be worth exploring.”
“We need to get out from under Holden before we can think about what’s next. What’s the plan?”
“I’ll go check on Grammie,” Poppy said, linking their arms to lead her sister inside. “You go and find Violet and bring her outside.”
“Why outside?”
“Because if we do it in her room or yours, Mom might walk in any second… Violet isn’t exactly my biggest fan, but we have to work this out together.”
If their mom walked in, even if Violet told her the truth, there was a good chance Poppy would be outvoted and expelled from the room. Their mom was the one who’d taught Violet that silence was the best policy.
Poppy often wondered about her parents’ relationship, about what they kept from each other. She didn’t believe they’d lie out of malice, but there did seem to be an inherent lack of communication. It was a shame. They could be so much stronger if they would just appreciate how to lean on each other. In her limited opinion anyway. She was still new to love in the grand scheme of things. Maybe she and Turner would end up that way in a few decades time too.
“Work it out together and take it to Mom as a unified front,” Primrose said.
Sounded perfect. “Yes.”
“We’ll have to tell Daddy.”
“Mom will help with that… or Grammie will. Talking to Violet is the first thing.”
They paused on the first floor, still by the stairs. “Violet. Right.”
Primrose’s resolute nod inspired confidence. They’d figure it out… if Violet appreciated why it was necessary. If she didn’t and they were forced to keep the secret, there would be no quick or obvious way out of the mess.
Grammie had known the minute Poppy walked into her bedroom that there was something going on. While she hadn’t walked in with the express intention of revealing every detail she’d learned, there was no point in keeping it a secret.