Now That I've Found You - Kristina Forest Page 0,46
under her breath.
“Do you have any idea where she might be?” I ask. “The FCC ceremony is on Sunday. I don’t know if she plans to be back before then.”
Esther shakes her head again and hands the note back to me. “I have no idea where she is. Have you told your parents?”
I consider lying, but I don’t want to add Esther’s name to the list of people I’m deceiving. “No, I don’t want them to worry. I just want to find Gigi before this all blows up. When’s the last time you talked to her?”
“Wednesday night,” Esther says, piling food onto three plates. “She was a little upset, but that didn’t seem too unusual. She’s been in a bit of a bad mood since she found out she was being honored at the FCCs. I didn’t think that she was this upset, though.”
I inwardly wince, knowing Gigi was most likely upset because of our argument.
“So you have no idea where she might be?”
“None at all,” Esther says. She picks up the plates and hands one to me. “This is for you. Eat. Who else knows about this?”
“Me, you, Milo, and Candice Tevin,” I say. “Gigi went to Candice’s gala last night because she needed to buy something, but Candice wouldn’t tell me what it was. Candice is the one who suggested that I ask you about Gigi.”
Esther frowns again. “I wish I could tell you more, Evie Marie, but I really have no idea what’s going on with Peg. Nothing is ever simple with her, but I’m sure you know that by now. Disappearing is how she deals with stress. I can’t tell you how many times she went off the grid after finding out that she didn’t get a role or after she became overwhelmed by one thing or another—once, in 1982, she called me from Mexico two days before the Academy Awards. Two days! And you know what her explanation was? She needed some fresh air to think, like there wasn’t enough fresh air back in California. You should call your parents and tell them what’s going on.”
I start to feel a little nauseous. Calling my parents is the last thing I want to do. But I don’t want Esther to worry or, worse, take it upon herself to call my parents instead. “I’ll tell them,” I say. So much for not lying to her.
Esther brings the plates into the living room for Milo and Ruby, and I follow behind, carrying my own plate. Their eyes are glued to the television screen, but every now and then, Ruby glances at Milo and smiles at him like a schoolgirl with a crush.
“Milo, honey, will you get three trays for me?” Esther asks. “You know where they are.”
Milo goes and grabs trays from across the room, and he unfolds them side by side in front of the couch. He walks over to me once he’s finished and whispers, “What did Esther say?”
I start to tell him that Esther doesn’t have any answers about Gigi, but Esther herself interrupts me.
“Sit down and eat, Evie Marie,” she says, before hustling back into the kitchen.
“Oh, no, Esther, we can’t stay,” I call, but she doesn’t hear me. To Milo, I whisper, “Gigi hasn’t been here. Esther doesn’t know anything.”
“I’m not surprised,” he says. “Do you think maybe you should just let your grandmother come home when she’s ready?”
I shake my head, irritated. “You wouldn’t understand. She’s not your grandmother.”
He pauses and takes a deep breath, like he’s thinking hard about how to respond.
I start to say that I’m sorry. That it’s not his fault I’m so frustrated. But then he says, “You’re right. She’s not my grandmother, but I care about her too.”
“I can’t hear the movie over your whispering,” Ruby says.
Milo and I apologize and take a few steps back toward the hallway. “Just stay for breakfast,” he says. “They enjoy the company.”
I look at Esther’s hopeful face as she walks back into the living room, and then I look at Ruby, who is waiting for Milo to return to her side. I don’t want to disappoint them.
“Okay,” I say, sighing.
Milo and I sit down on the couch, with him in between Ruby and me.
Esther stands by and watches until I put some eggs on my fork and lift it to my mouth. When she’s satisfied that I’m actually eating, she flops onto the love seat and lets out a deep breath.
“Ah, watching your favorite movie, huh, Ruby?” Esther says.