His sketches and pictures were fantastically good. He'd taken after Ramani and their mother with his ability. His pieces were just as whimsical as Ramani's, in a G-rated way––Disneyish, even. Bluebirds holding up the bride's trains and squirrels dressed as waiters. The picture he drew last week was of a furious woman with purplish skin and dark, angry eyes pointing an accusing finger at the brides as if cursing them.
“Who's that?” Barbara had asked him. He'd looked at the drawing for a while.
“I don't know. Maybe Grandpa Ron or the government.” Barbara had thrown back her head and laughed, wondering what her conservative republican Trumper grandpa would think of Jesse portraying him as a witchy woman. But now her younger siblings were holed up, confused and hurt. Barbara felt hurt. Sometimes she felt like her mother was connecting with her, and other times she could be as aloof as Ramani. Their grandmother was a strange mixture of charm and indifference. Narcissistic was how Cuppa described her.
Barbara lowered her voice so that her mother couldn't hear and said, "I think we've been really understanding. Cuppa doesn't need to move. This is ridiculous."
"Oh, you are a love," Cuppa said affectionately, eyes bright with pain. "But I think maybe it's time I shove on. Think about finding a mate, start my own family."
"Cuppa. You are family."
"I know. Yes, of course I am, but life is ever changing, Barbara. Nothing stays the same for all time, that would be stagnant, love. Next year you'll be going to college, starting your adult life. No, Erica's right. It's time I get on with it. And neither you or your mum should be bunking in that closet of an office while I take up all the good real estate."
Everyone knew that Cuppa was head over heels, gobsmacked in love with Erica. She'd been content to sleep in a room upstairs and work as Erica's business partner just to be close to the heart of her desire. Back when their mom was herself, Dora was too vivacious, loud and demanding for Erica to be distracted by anyone else. If their lives were a movie, Cuppa would have been the supporting actor. She prepared meals for the family and cleaned the house. No one asked her to do these things, it was just what she did. Cuppa loved all of them and treated Barbara and her siblings as if they were her children. So she planned weddings with Erica and expected nothing more out of their relationship. Dora had never felt threatened by or jealous of Cuppa, because Dora knew she was the star in Erica's world. Everyone knew this.
Barbara sipped more of her tea. Cuppa had made it just right. "Where will you go?"
"Oh, not far. Don't worry, you won't be completely rid of me."
"I would never want to be rid of you," Barbara said sappily just as Jesse emerged from his and Sara’s room, holding his latest drawing.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
They fell silent as he eyed them suspiciously.
"Cuppa's going to be looking for her own place," Erica finally said.
"Why?" His voice rose to a squeal, bringing Sara out of their room. The stress of the last weeks had pinched her features into a nearly constant sour look. Jesse turned to her with dismay. "Cuppa's moving."
Sara's eyes moved past him to the hallway that led to their mother's office. "It's because of her, isn't it?" Sara asked, mouth tight.
Jesse whipped round to look at them, eyes wide. "Mom's making you move?"
Cuppa held up her hand. "No, it's nothing like that. I just thought it might be nice to get my own place." Cuppa gave them a shaky smile, her voice trembling a little.
"Yeah, right," Sara growled. "You're Cuppa. You can't go. She's making you go, isn't she?"
"Sara," Erica spoke up.
Barbara had never seen her sister like this. Sara had always been a serious child, but she had been just as close to their mother as Barbara and Jesse. This new energy coming off her was pure hatred.
"Maybe Dora should go," Sara hissed. "She doesn't care about any of us, anyway. Always in her room, always moping around like some big stupid kid."
"That's enough," Erica said sternly.
Cuppa held out her arms to Sara. "Come here, little sprite. Come on."
Sara's face was white, eyes so blue that they looked like hot jewels glowing in her skull. Sara stepped into Cuppa's arms, burying her face in the woman's shoulder. "Oh, little one," Cuppa crooned. "I'm not going far. Cuppa will be around every day, right as rain."
Barbara half expected their mom to come out from behind her closed door. But she didn't. She must have heard them talking, yet stayed hiding to herself. Who was she anymore? Would Dora ever come back? Jesse stood clinging to his drawing, looking unsure about it all. Finally, he said,
"I don't want Mom to go."
"Your mum's not going anywhere," Cuppa replied, stroking Sara's back. "And for now, neither am I. We're just having a bit of a talk, nothing too serious. I haven't even started looking yet."
"Don't go," Sara said in a muffled voice against Cuppa's shoulder.
"Yeah," Jesse took a step closer. "Don't go, Cuppa."
"Well, we'll see," Cuppa said with a sniff.
Erica looked wrecked. Barbara could see that they wondered if the suggestion of Cuppa moving was just too much change right now. For one mean minute, Barbara thought, now you know how it feels. The others were too little to remember their parent's divorce, but Barbara wasn’t, and it had made her bitter for a while. But it was hard to stay mad with Erica. And Cuppa, well, it was like trying to hate a kitten. What was up with all the animal
