“Don’t be cute,” Angela snapped. “You know
damned well why they won’t give me anything. I’m a
coke hound. Now beat it, will you?”
“Of course,” Judith said, standing up. “Really, I feel
so sorry for you. Is it possible that you could kick the
habit if you went into rehab?”
Angela scowled at Judith. “The goody-goody side
of the Quick Fix, huh? Easier said than done, Mrs.
Flynn.” Suddenly her eyes widened. “Where are you
from?”
Judith was taken aback. “You mean . . . where was I
born?”
“Yes. Where? When?” The queries crackled like
scattershot.
“I was born right here,” Judith replied, “about two
blocks away, in a hospital that’s been turned into condos. Why do you ask?”
“Are you sure?”
“Certainly I’m sure,” Judith answered, indignant.
Then, seeing the disappointment on Angela’s face, she
understood the reason for the questions. “I’m sorry.
I’ve only had one child, a boy. And I didn’t become
Mrs. Flynn until ten years ago.”
Wearily, Angela turned away. “Never mind. I keep
hoping someday I’ll find my mother.”
Even when she wasn’t wanted, Judith was too softhearted to walk away. She remained standing, gazing
down at Angela’s blond hair and twitching hands.
“Do you want to meet your mother for revenge,” Judith asked softly, “or for an explanation?”
Angela didn’t respond immediately. Indeed, her
whole body convulsed, then went slack. “I know why
she gave me away,” the actress finally replied, her
voice muffled by the pillow. “She never really wanted
me. My mother was a free spirit, a big-time flower
child. I was just a burden in her personal revolution.”
“Your mother sounds selfish and immature,” Judith
declared. “Who raised you?”
“An aunt in San Bernardino,” Angela said. “She meant
well, but she had four kids of her own. I was much
younger than they were. I was always the outsider.”
Abruptly, she turned again to face Judith. “This is none of
your business. Quit asking so damned many questions.”
“I apologize,” Judith said. “I can’t help myself. I’m
interested in people. I care about them.”
“You’re an oddity, then,” Angela said. “Most people
only care in terms of what they can get from you. The
funny thing is, my mother didn’t want anything from
me. She didn’t want me, period.”
“She may be a villain,” Judith said quietly, “but
she’s not the one who hooked you on drugs. Who did?”
