that the conversation had been cut short.
Fern shuffled her way across the salon like a horse thief headed to the hanging tree. Tanyalee followed along, deciding she would worry about Fern, Dante, and Viv’s big mouth a little later. Right now, she needed to provide some guidance for the stylist. “I was thinking we could keep most of the length but just shape it up a little, maybe add some nice layers around her face.”
“That sounds perfect. Your daughter’s cheekbones are too pretty to hide behind a curtain of flat hair. Let’s get you shampooed.”
Tanyalee saw Fern’s shoulders stiffen as she walked toward the shampoo sink. In a soft voice she said, “I just washed my hair this morning. It ain’t flat. And that lady sure as shit ain’t my mother.”
Tanyalee sighed. Maybe she had expected too much. Maybe it would take more than one trip to the mall to get Fern to relax and enjoy herself. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched the stylist lather up Fern’s hair. The girl’s breathing steadied but she tapped her foot in nervousness.
What was going on in that head of hers? Tanyalee wondered. What memories kept Fern awake at night? What made her cry? When did the loneliness hit hardest? Did she grieve for her father, or was his death almost a relief to her? Of course, Tanyalee could never imagine how awful things had been for her, but she did know a thing or two about losing both parents at a young age.
Perhaps one day Tanyalee would let Fern know they had more in common than she could imagine.
Silently, she wondered how she’d find a way to be what Fern needed most—a friend she could trust, a friend who would never give up on her.
With a start, Tanyalee realized that if she could pull it off, it would be a first, since she’d never managed that for anyone—not her schoolmates, her family, or her lovers. And certainly not with her own sister.
Chapter 13
“Tell me what you want, what you really really want!”
Tanyalee’s phone was ringing once more. She rooted around in her bag, feeling her heart pound. Could it be Dante again? Her body loosened in disappointment when she saw who had called. “Hey, Aunt Viv.”
“Taffy? I just wanted to call and let you know that, well … how has your day been, sweetheart?”
Tanyalee closed her eyes, right there in the Hair Apparent waiting room, and prayed for patience. “Fine. But I’m not sure I’ll be home for dinner tonight.”
“That’s not why I called.”
“Oh?” Just then, one of the stylists turned on her blow-dryer, forcing Tanyalee to step away from the noise and return to the waiting area. “Is everything all right at home?”
“Of course! Yes, yes, everything’s just fine. Why wouldn’t it be?”
Sometimes, speaking to Vivienne Newberry was like attempting to do a crossword puzzle in a foreign language. “What can I do for you, Aunt Viv?”
“I only thought you should hear it from me…”
Since those words never preceded good news of any kind, Tanyalee’s pulse began to race. “What’s happened?”
“Well, now, it’s nothing terrible. It’s just that Cheri and J.J. are home from their honeymoon. They got back an hour ago, looking all tanned and relaxed and happy and all. I thought you should know.”
She felt her heart thud to her knees. “Okay.”
Aunt Viv remained silent.
“Is there something else, Aunt Viv? I’m at the beauty parlor with Fern and I probably should go back and see how she’s doing.”
“No. Nothing else. Why would you think there was something else?”
Tanyalee sighed. She waited a moment, but Viv made no move to hang up. Lord love a duck!
“Well, now, I suppose there is just one small thing more.”
Of course there is. “Yes?”
Aunt Viv breathed in sharply and unleashed a lightning-fast stream of words. “I might have mentioned those stepping stones of yours to Cheri and J.J., and I truly hope you don’t mind. You don’t mind, do you? It wasn’t some kind of secret or anything, was it?”
Lord in heaven, that woman couldn’t keep her lips sealed if her life depended on it!
Tanyalee stared absently out the glass window into the busy mall and sighed. She supposed Aunt Viv had a point. It wasn’t a secret. Damn near everyone in town knew Grandfather Garland had sent Tanyalee to rehab as a way to reduce her sentence, and most people knew that a big part of any 12-step recovery plan was taking responsibility for one’s actions and seeking forgiveness. So