What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,46
at least said hello.”
After slamming the refrigerator door with more force than necessary, Zoe gave Claudia a hard look with glittering eyes. “If you really thought I was going to say hi to that man and give him a hug, you are completely off your rocker. I barely could promise May I’d be civil. Hugs were so not on the list.”
Claudia couldn’t help it. All the tension, all the stress, all the anticipation of the first time she talked to Peter again after so many years came bubbling out in near-hysterical laughter. She gripped the counter as the sound came rolling out in waves. She accepted the paper towel Zoe gave her and mopped at her eyes, no longer sure if she was laughing or crying.
For her part, Zoe came over and wrapped an arm around Claudia’s shoulders. “I know it was hard for you, but I think you did a wonderful job and had a lot of class. You knocked him for a loop.”
“I’ll say.” May’s voice made Claudia jump back from the comfort of Zoe’s arms.
Feeling guilty when she shouldn’t, Claudia wrung her hands in front of her. “I...um...just thought there might be something I could do to get things ready for the lunch. Thought I’d come check out the kitchen and see what I could do to help.” But when Claudia looked around the spotless kitchen with its blindingly white appliances and fancy café curtains done in red and white, she knew there was nothing here for her but shelter.
“You’ll say what?” Zoe’s chin took on the belligerent set she used to wear when their mother told her curfew was at ten, no exceptions.
May took her time staring at the two of them, and Claudia saw the storm brewing in her eyes. This could go from bad to worse in two seconds flat if she didn’t step in and play peacekeeper. “Hi, May, thanks for not making that awkward.”
Obviously it was the wrong thing to say, because May’s normally warm brown eyes took on the temperature of rock-hard chocolate ice cream. “I didn’t have to make it awkward. But I think someone else was doing a damn fine job of turning that around.” She threw a stack of napkins onto the big butcher block island and stomped around the kitchen to the refrigerator. She yanked it open, much like Zoe had, and attacked another poor carrot, again much like Zoe. Two years younger than Claudia and one older than Zoe, May had always been the bridge over the gap in the sisters’ ages when they were younger. This had to be hard for her, too.
“I’m sorry, May. I didn’t mean to sound flippant. I didn’t know what it was going to be like to be in the same room as Peter again after all this time. I was simply saying that I was glad it didn’t involve yelling or crying. That’s all.”
“I’m sure it would have been different if left up to this one.” She hooked a thumb at Zoe and decapitated the poor carrot with her teeth.
Zoe visibly bristled. Claudia could almost see the hair standing up on the back of her neck like some cat being confronted by a dog. Not that Claudia would share that image with anyone outside her own mind. It didn’t flatter either one of them.
“Down, Zoe. I can handle this myself.” Claudia walked around to the other side of the island and gently took the carrot out of May’s hand. She didn’t want this to escalate to a point where none of them could be comfortable around each other. Especially since they all worked together. They’d had their tiffs before, but nothing like the potential this had to become an all-out war.
She walked May over to where Zoe stood rigid and made them face her, next to each other. “I’m going to say this once, and then I don’t think I ever want to say it again. I want both of you to know that I love you. And I love my son. And I love our store and the beautiful work we do together. Up until this point, we haven’t ever discussed Peter or even let him into a conversation peripherally because I think we all knew what a disaster it could be.”
“But...”
Claudia held up a hand to stop whatever Zoe was about to say. She held Zoe’s right hand and May’s left. “Peter gave me something precious. It might not have ever worked out between us. We may