'These are my favorites! Who could have—?'
'There's a card taped to the corner.'
Nellie pulled it free and opened it.
' 'Don't worry,'' she read. ''I haven't forgotten you.' It's signed, 'Your favorite nephew, Richard!''
Gia was aghast. 'Richard?'
'Yes! What a dear sweet boy to think of me! Oh, he knows Black Magic has always been my favorite. What a thoughtful present!'
'Could I see the card, please?'
Nellie handed it over without looking at it again. She was pulling off the rest of the wrapper and lifting the lid. The strong odor of dark chocolate filled the foyer. As the older woman inhaled deeply, Gia studied the card, her anger rising.
Written in a cutesy female hand, it had round circles above the I's and little loops all over the place. Definitely not her ex-husband's scrawl. He'd probably called the shop, gave them the address, and told them what to put on the card. Or better yet, had his latest girlfriend do it. Yes, that would be more Richard's style.
Gia bottled the anger that had come to a full boil within her. Her ex-husband, controller of one-third of the huge Westphalen fortune, had plenty of time to flit all over the world and send his aunt expensive chocolates from London, but not a penny to spare for child support, let alone the moment it would have taken to send his own daughter a card for her last birthday.
You sure can pick 'em, Gia.
She bent and picked up the wrapper. 'The Divine Obsession.' At least she knew what city Richard was living in. And probably not too far from this shop—he was never one to go out of his way for anyone, especially his aunts. They’d never thought much of him and had never been reticent about letting him know it. Which raised the question: Why the candy? What was behind this thoughtful little gift out of the blue?
'Imagine!' Nellie was saying. 'A gift from Richard! How lovely! Who'd have ever thought—”
They were both suddenly aware of a third person in the room with them. Gia glanced up and saw Vicky standing in the hallway in her white jersey with her bony legs sticking out of her yellow shorts and her feet squeezed sockless into her sneakers, watching them with wide blue eyes.
'Is that a present from my daddy?'
'Why, yes, love,' Nellie said.
'Did he send one for me?'
Gia felt her heart break at those words. Poor Vicky...
Nellie glanced at Gia, her face distraught, then turned back to Vicky.
'Not yet, Victoria, but I'm sure one will be coming soon. Meanwhile, he said we should all share these chocolates until—” Nellie's hand darted to her mouth, realizing what she’d just said.
'Oh, no,' Vicky said. 'My daddy would never send me chocolate. He knows I can't have any.'
With her back straight and her chin high, she turned and walked quickly down the hall toward the backyard.
Nellie's face seemed to crumble as she turned toward Gia. 'I forgot she's allergic. I'll go get her—”
'Let me,' Gia said, putting a hand on her shoulder. 'We've been over this ground before, and it looks like we'll have to go over it again.'
She left Nellie standing there in the foyer, looking older than her years, unaware of the box of chocolates clutched so tightly in her spotted hands, Gia didn't know who to feel sorrier for: Vicky or Nellie.
2
Vicky hadn't wanted to cry in front of Aunt Nellie, who always said what a big girl she was. Mommy said it was all right to cry, but Vicky never saw Mommy cry. Well, hardly ever.
Vicky wanted to cry right now. It didn't matter if this was one of the all right times or not, it was going to come out anyway. It was like a big balloon inside her chest, getting bigger and bigger until she either cried or exploded. She held it in until she reached the playhouse. It had one door, two windows with new curtains, and room enough inside for her to spin around with her arms spread out all the way without touching the walls. She picked up her Ms. Jelliroll doll and hugged it to her chest. Then it began.
The sobs came first, like big hiccups, then the tears. She didn't have a sleeve, so she tried to wipe them away with her arm but succeeded only in making her face and her arm wet and smeary.
Daddy doesn’t care.
It made her feel sick way down in the bottom of her stomach to think that, but she knew it was true. She didn't know why it should bother her so much. She could hardly remember what he looked like. Mommy threw away all his pictures a long time ago and as time went by it became harder and harder to see his face in her mind. He hadn't been around at all in two years and Vicky didn't remember seeing much of him even before that. So why should it hurt to say that Daddy didn't care? Mommy was the only one who really mattered, who really cared, who was always there.
Mommy cared. And so did Jack. But now Jack didn't come around anymore either. Except for yesterday. Thinking about Jack made her stop crying. When he’d lifted her up and hugged her yesterday, she'd felt so good inside. Warm. And safe. For the short while he’d been in the house yesterday she hadn't felt afraid. Vicky didn't know what there was to be scared of, but lately she felt afraid all the time. Especially at night.
She heard the door open behind her and knew it was Mommy.
That was okay. She’d stopped crying now. She was all right now. But when she turned and saw that sad, pitying look on Mommy's face, it all came out again and she burst into tears. Mommy squeezed into the little rocker
