Why did she feel a sense of guilt for leaving? She could decide for herself where she lived, what she did in life. Over the years she’d felt an overwhelming obligation to her aunt. After all, she had taken Charlotte in when otherwise she would have ended up in foster care. Lucy had never been nurturing or affectionate, but she had been the only parent Charlotte had ever really known. “I’m moving there to be closer to Betty Sue.”
Lucy’s cold laughter filled the air. “Let me guess. She’s one of your mom’s relatives.”
“Yes. My cousin.” Charlotte anticipated the negativity that would come. It always did.
The mention of her mother always did bring out the worst in Lucy. “Your mother was a bitch and your father was a bastard. The little money he had he spent on gambling and the little he won he spent on alcohol. Never kept a job longer than two weeks and screwed anything with two legs. Forget about going to Tarnation.” Her groan rattled the window. “You’re going to stay here.”
Charlotte planted a smile on her lips, not allowing her aunt to trigger more guilt. “I’ve already made arrangements. I even have a job waiting for me. I’m flying out today.”
“What?” Lucy’s lips thinned and the wrinkles around her mouth deepened into quivering trenches. “And you’re just now telling me this? Why’s the old lady always the last to know?”
“I want you to be happy for me.”
“What about Ryan?” She grabbed her vape, inhaled, which sent her into a coughing fit. She gulped the coffee.
“What about him?”
“You can’t tell me there’s not a chance you two won’t hook up again. I saw him the other day. He asked about you.”
“No. Ryan and I won’t be getting back together. Ever.” Lucy didn’t like many people, but she’d liked Ryan. She especially liked that he was a junior associate at a law firm.
“Why are you always making the wrong decisions?” Lucy moaned.
“I guess it’s just in my genes.”
The sarcasm went unpounced on.
“What about me? You know I don’t get around much these days. My feet are killing me.”
Lifting her chin and folding her arms over her waist, Charlotte said stiffly, “It’s time I did something for myself. The doctor said you needed to walk more to keep the circulation going in your feet and stop drinking. I noticed by the empty bottles in the living room that you didn’t take Dr. Kenworth’s suggestion to heart.”
As every other time when the drinking came up, Lucy changed the subject. “After all that I’ve done for you. You’re going to treat me like yesterday’s trash?”
“That’s not what I’m doing, and you know it. I’m branching out.”
“You can do it here. Stop talking foolish.”
Charlotte cleared her throat. “It’s already settled. I bought the ticket and there’s no turning back.”
“Fine,” Lucy grumbled. “Then why are you here?”
“I’ve asked our neighbor to check on you. She has agreed. You like Jamie. Maybe you two can go to Bingo and stop at that diner you really love.”
“I tolerate Jamie. That’s all. I don’t want her coming over here and checking on me and fussing.”
Going back to the bed, Charlotte sat down. “I spoke to Marvin at the market. He said he’s willing to give you your job back. He needs someone in the deli and a cashier. He promised he’ll give you another chance as long as you stop in the next few days.”
“What? I wouldn’t give that uptight twerp the time of day. After the way he treated me? Pfft. Accusing me of stealing?” She inhaled loudly, pushed the plate off her lap and stood, a little wobbly at first but quickly gained her bearings. Pieces of egg rolled off her gown and dropped to the floor. “And how dare you go behind my back and speak to that man. I don’t need you to arrange jobs for me.” Her gray eyes turned a shade darker.
“I thought you’d want to go back. You worked there for twenty years and he was a flexible boss. And for the record, he didn’t accuse you of stealing. Marvin only said that you’d made a mistake in cashing out.”
“Sorry that I had lost a couple of dollars. I was tired.” Lucy pulled on her short pink robe, brought out a full pack of cigarettes and started to light one when she met Charlotte’s accusing gaze. “Damn.” She dropped the unlit cigarette and pack back into her pocket with a disappointed groan.
“Martin said you’d been having a few rough nights there at the end.”
“And you believe him?”
“I’m not taking sides. You need the job, Lucy. I don’t mind continuing to help you out, that’s fine. I’ll send you money, but I can’t stay here. I won’t stay here.”
Her aunt’s shoulders slumped some. “Then go.” She waved her spindly hand through the air like a fairy godmother with a magic wand. “I don’t need you or your help. I’ll find my own job too, thank you very much.”
“I’m sure you’ll find one.”
“Selfish.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re selfish. When your mom couldn’t take care of you who swept in and did the right thing? I did. I didn’t have to, but I did out of the grace of my heart and this is how I’m paid back. You get some shiny certificate and then everything here is useless. That doesn’t surprise me. Your mother was the same way. Selfish to the bone.”
Charlotte gritted her teeth, holding back the hurt that bubbled up into her chest. She’d heard this same argument so many times over the years and each one seemed to burrow deeper. Although her memories had nearly faded of the woman who people said she looked identical to, she’d held out hope that
