“Oh, I don’t want to put you to any trouble—”
“Aunt Effie!” Lily cried. She rushed forward and threw her arms around my mom. “Zelda didn’t say you were coming to visit!”
“Zelda didn’t know she was coming to visit,” I muttered to myself.
James came out from behind the counter and introduced himself. “Ma’am, I am so pleased to meet you. There are so many stories I could tell you about your daughter—”
I cleared my throat.
“But I’m sure you’ll want to hear them directly from her. Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? Eggs? I do a mean omelet.” He pulled out a chair and ushered her into it.
“An omelet would be lovely.” She put a hand on his arm. “Do you have Cracker Barrel extra sharp cheese?” James looked blank. “Never mind, whatever you have will be fine, I’m sure.” She patted his arm reassuringly.
James retreated, no doubt in search of the mythical Cracker Barrel extra sharp.
I tried to think of a good way of askingwhy are you herewithout just shouting it. Nothing came to mind. So I went sideways. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“I expect there’s a Holiday Inn or something around here. Or a bed and breakfast”—she looked at Lily—“I love a good B&B, don’t you?”
Lily nodded happily. Of course she did. It wasn’thermother showing up out of nowhere.
“I mean, if you’d havecalledme—”
Mom waved the thought away. “I didn’t want to stress you out.”
“So you camehereto stress me out?”
That earned me a well-deserved look. “I came,” she said, “to see mydaughter.”
I looked at her more closely, as if I could see a clue in the lines of her face. If she wanted to travel, why hadn’t gone to my brother’s? She had always seemed to approve of him more than me. Why was shehere?“Lily,” I said, “could you check in the produce delivery?”
Lily hesitated, her gaze going back and forth between my mom and me, before she disappeared into the back again.
I leaned toward Mom, ready to get the full truth, when I caught Jessica, out of the corner of my eye, using the mopping as a pretense to skulk closer and closer. “Jessica, go help Lily.”
Jessica huffed a sigh and marched off, nearly mowing down James, who was carrying a plate.
“Watch it,” he said. Then he put on a smile and delivered the omelet to our table. “Cheddar cheese omelet, ma’am. Enjoy.” He leaned close to me. “I’ll keep everything under control,” he murmured.
“Thank you, James,” I said. Mom just sat there, looking oddly guilty, like Jester when I busted him with a mouthful of scrunchies. “Mom. Your omelet?”
Mom started, then daintily unrolled the silverware and laid the napkin across her lap. “I’m fine, really.”
“I never said youweren’tfine.”
“Well, I am.” She stabbed the eggs with her fork.
I waited.
Mom chewed and swallowed, looking anywhere but at me. Then she laid down her fork. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re waiting for me to confess.”
I slid into a seat across from her. “No offense, Mom, but this isn’t like you. You don’t just pick up and travel on the spur of the moment.”To a city you don’t even like, I could have added.
She took another bite of omelet, then waved the fork around. “Isn’t it enough that I want to see my daughter?”
