Her living room seemed to be set up to honor Dana and Swarovski crystal. On every flat surface rested glass figures atop mirrored coasters. The wal s were crowded with photos of Dana. Some were school portraits and these seemed to be arranged chronological y and there were others that looked like Uncle Raleigh’s work. She waved her arm and I sat down on a leather couch. Although a chenil e throw covered the cushions, I could feel the cracks in the leather against my thighs.
“May I get you something to drink?” Gwen asked.
“No,” I said.
“No?” she said with a question at the end like I was being prompted to remember my manners. Something in me almost corrected myself and said “No, ma’am,” but I instead said, “No, I don’t want anything to drink.”
“Very wel ,” Gwen said. “Did you mother caution you not to drink from my glasses? Does she think I am going to put some root on you? Is that what she thinks happened?” Gwen laughed a little. “It’s warm in here. Should I turn on the fan, or did she warn you against breathing my air, too?”
“My mother doesn’t even know I’m here,” I said. “And I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about her.”
“You and your sister are so much alike,” Gwen said. “I had no idea that my daughter was spending her time with you. Someone should write a book on the secret lives of girls.”
“You should know about secret lives,” I said.
Gwen turned in my direction. “Al this back talk. You and Dana real y are sisters.”
Every time she said the word
“Would you rather sit here?” Gwen said, rising. “This is your father’s chair.”
“No,” I said.
“So,” Gwen said, “what can I help you with? I’m on my way to work, but I can make time for you.”
“Don’t cal the police on my father,” I said.
She smiled, a little. “Come again?”
I took the card out of my purse. I wanted to keep my tone level, like woman to woman. “You sent this to my mother. Don’t you think my mother has suffered enough?”
Gwendolyn picked the card up and held it away from her like she didn’t want it to stain her white uniform. “Little girl,” she said, “while this card does make a good point, I did not send this.” She flipped the card over to the smiling peanut on the front. “Jimmy Carter?”
“You’re lying,” I said. “You and Dana just lie and lie and lie.”
Gwen’s mood shifted and she leaned forward. “Do not speak il of my daughter. She has done more for you than you wil ever know. Both of us have lived our entire lives in order for you to be comfortable. Nobody that lives in this house ever lied to you.”
“You’re not al that innocent.”
“You are not, either,” Gwen said. “Everything you have, you have at the expense of my daughter. Just because you were ignorant doesn’t make you innocent.”
I stood up from the raggedy couch and Gwen stood up, too. It was as though we were either going to fight or embrace. “Stay away from my mother,” I said. “And my father.”
Gwendolyn said, “Listen to me. Sit back down. You came here because you want to know something, so let me tel you something.”
I sat back down, because Gwen was right. Wasn’t whole point to find things out?
“First, what you are asking of me is unreasonable. I exist; Dana exists. You can’t ask us to pretend that we don’t. When I came to the Pink Fox that day, I did not ask Laverne to leave her husband. I did not ask you to live without your father. I just came to the shop and showed myself. You have been showing yourself to me for every day of your life. I can’t believe how arrogant you are, Chaurisse. I have been good to you your entire life, so give me some respect.”
Gwen crossed her white-stockinged legs and bounced her shoe up and down. “Don’t cry,” she said.
I wasn’t crying. I felt my face to make sure. She spoke with a grand tone, like there was someone watching. I swiveled to see the whole room, but there was no one else there except the pictures of Dana.
“Now I want to ask you something,” Gwen said. “Okay? We’re civilized here.”
“I’m not tel ing you anything,” I said.
“Oh,” Gwen said. “I know everything already. You are the one who needs to know things. I want to ask you for a smal favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yes,” Gwen said. “I want to ask you to give Dana back her grandmother’s brooch. It’s al she had.”
“Hel no,” I said.
“Why not?” Gwen wanted to know. “You have everything. My Dana has fed herself on your crumbs her whole life. Why can’t you just share this one thing?”
“Sorry,” I said standing up, feeling a bit prideful. “It’s mine. She was my grandmother. My daddy stole the brooch from her dress when she was in the casket.”
“Don’t be so selfish. My daughter has never asked for anything. I never asked for anything. You see me in this uniform? I work every day. I pay my own bil s.”
