Javier came running into the kitchen. He smacked his Grandma on the leg and shouted, “Bacon!” and I grinned.
There was a commotion at the door, I twisted to look and saw Meredith leading, moving swiftly, her face panicked. Dad was coming behind her, his strides long, his face set in granite. And a woman was following them wearing jeans, boots, a blousy top shot with silver and a cool, beat up leather jacket. She looked half-hippie, half-biker babe, a look she pulled off and one I liked so much I felt a new phase coming on. She also looked familiar but I didn’t know how.
I tensed and turned, putting my coffee cup to the counter.
What now?
“Gwennie, sweetie, she wouldn’t –” Meredith started, her eyes glued to me, she didn’t even glance at the Delgados.
“Gwendolyn!” the woman I didn’t know shouted then broke into a run toward me. “My God, my God. A drive-by!” Then she passed Meredith and threw her arms around me as I froze, my eyes on Meredith. “My baby, nearly shot to death!” the woman wailed, swaying me side to side.
“Uh,” I started. “Do I know you?”
She jerked away, her fingers curving around my upper arms so hard I could feel her nails through the material of my hoodie.
“Do you know me?” she whispered.
“Gwen –” Dad began but the woman let me go and she whirled on Dad.
“Does she know me?” she shrieked and even Santo and Javier stopped scampering and stared.
“Libby,” Dad clipped but I felt the color slide from my face as I took a step back.
“Libby?” I whispered and she swung back to me.
“Yes!” she snapped. “Libby! Your mother!”
Oh my God! Gus was a voodoo master. One mention and then, poof! there she was!
My eyes flew to Hawk to see he was closing in on me as I swayed. Luckily, he made it to me, his arm hooking around my chest as he positioned his tall frame behind me and he anchored me to him before I could teeter and fall.
“You don’t have to protect her from me,” my mother hissed at Hawk, her eyes slits.
“I’ll take the boys outside,” Von muttered, moving off his stool toward his sons.
But I didn’t look to see this happen, I only sensed him move because I kept staring at my Mom.
My Mom.
“Well, this answers that,” Mom was still hissing and she turned to Meredith. “I take it you didn’t share the letters and photos I sent,” she accused, Hawk’s arm tightened and my eyes shot to Meredith.
“I –” Meredith started.
“No, I didn’t,” Dad put in, moving in behind Meredith and sliding an arm around her waist.
Letters? Photos?
“I should have known when I didn’t get anything back,” Mom retorted then her eyes focused on Meredith. “My baby wouldn’t leave me hanging. My baby would reply to me!”
“It was my decision to keep you out of Gwen’s life, not Mer’s, so eyes to me, Libby,” Dad ordered.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
Mom’s eyes didn’t swing to Dad, they swung to me. “You can say that again!” she shouted.
“You think you could take a second, calm down and see Gwen and Hawk have company and maybe we can discuss this in private?” Dad suggested.
“No! No I do not!” Mom shouted.