this can be answered later. Just do it. Please.”
“I’ll try. Now come home.”
Gunner Didn’t Even Have That
CHAPTER 50
WILLA
A knock on the door broke into my studies, and I was grateful. I’d been sitting here for over four hours. This was boring. But it wasn’t Catholic school.
I got up, went to the kitchen, and peeked through the window first. My mother’s silver BMW was parked outside. I paused, unsure that was who I was seeing. Why would my mother be here . . . in her car?
Dropping the curtain back into place, I walked to the door slowly, trying my hardest not to panic. She had no reason to be here unannounced. I glanced at the phone and thought about calling Nonna. I wanted her here.
My mother knocked again. I had nothing to be scared of. This wasn’t my mother’s house. She couldn’t throw me out of here. If anything, she’d get thrown out.
Unlocking the door, I turned the brass knob with a sick knot in my stomach. I pulled it open and tried to breathe normally, but it was hard. I hadn’t seen her since the day she kicked me out. I hadn’t spoken to her either.
“Hello, Mom,” I said simply.
“Willa. Is Mother here?” was her businesslike response.
“She’s at the big house.” I almost offered to call her but decided that my mother could do that herself.
“Can I come in?” she asked, and I really wanted to say No, you can’t. Leave.
But I stepped back so she could walk inside. Mother looked around the kitchen as if expecting to find something. “It’s the same. She never changes anything,” Mom said, almost annoyed with that. I loved that Nonna’s never changed. It was safe and familiar.
“Why are you here?” I asked, not waiting for her to get to the point. I didn’t like her looking down her nose at Nonna’s house. It was my home.
“To see you,” Mother finally replied. She put her hand on her stomach, and I glanced down for the first time to see the small bump starting to show.
“Chance told me you were expecting another one. Congrats on that.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
I hadn’t actually been sincere, but she didn’t catch that. Whatever.
“I came to tell you that myself and to discuss your future. I can’t expect Mother to continue to take care of you.”
I hadn’t planned on staying here after senior year. “Senior year is almost half over. I’ll be going to college after that.”
Mom nodded. “About that . . .” She motioned toward the living room. “Why don’t we sit down. My feet are tired, and my lower back is killing me.”
I wasn’t surprised she was a dramatic pregnant woman. I doubted she had gotten to be that dramatic with me at fifteen. Now she had a husband to dote on her. She had to be eating that up. I felt sorry for Chance having to witness that daily.
I followed her into the living room, and we each took a place at opposite ends of the sofa. I tucked one leg underneath me as I turned toward her.
“Okay. Talk,” I said, wanting to get on with this. Suddenly my schoolwork was looking promising.
“I know you are expecting the savings account that Nonna helped me set up when you were born for your college. However, that’s not going to be available. Times got tight over the years, and I wasn’t always able to put money away. Then, with the new baby, I need extra money for a nursery. You’re almost eighteen, Willa. It’s time you make a life on your own without my help or your nonna’s. Get a job and pay bills. We can’t be expected to let you freeload. That won’t make you a hard worker.”
Nonna had put twenty thousand dollars from my grandfather’s life insurance settlement into a savings account when I was born, for my college. It was supposed to have been accruing interest over the years. My mother had claimed a few times to be adding money to it, but I hadn’t heard her say anything about it in years. I hadn’t expected money from her, but that money Nonna had saved was going to get me through my first year while I worked and saved up for my next year. I was also going to apply for financial aid. I had this all figured out.
“Nonna put twenty grand into that account,” I said, not sure what she was saying.
Mother straightened her shoulders. “That was my father’s life insurance money. You needed