She fished out the pop and turned her attention to the snack machine next to her. Was Lenny allowed to have solids, or would the doctors get mad?
“I think we should tell him,” Curls whispered.
Cami, about to feed more coins into the second vending machine, froze.
“You can’t be serious,” Ms. Ponytail growled. “Dad doesn’t want him to know. Given that Dad’s the one currently on his death bed, I think we should defer to him.”
The women behind her had dropped their voices to a whisper, but Cami was only a few feet away. Maybe they’d forgotten she was there. Or else her presence just didn’t bother them. She didn’t want to eavesdrop on what was clearly a private conversation, but they weren’t giving her much of an option. Hoping to deter them from further embarrassment, she fed coins into the second machine and pressed a random duo of buttons. A chocolate bar whirred out of the spiral holder and clonked noisily to the bottom of the machine, but the racket didn’t dissuade the gossiping sisters.
“Jake’s going to be devastated when he finds out about Kevin,” Curls persisted. “I think he should have the option to talk to Dad about it once he finds out. If Dad’s dead already, how’s he going to do that?”
Carefully, Cami withdrew the chocolate bar from the retrieval slot and started to tiptoe across the room. It was the only way out of the waiting area, though she’d have to pass through the women’s line of sight. She’d just wanted to get Lenny a drink, not eavesdrop on someone’s family drama. Especially not when it was part of a family that had, minutes ago, seemed so picture perfect.
“I know. I get where you’re coming from, but I still think it’s Dad’s decision, and if he doesn’t want Jake to know, then I think we should respect that.” Ms. Ponytail snapped the magazine shut.
“What about Kevin, though? This affects him too. We may have just found out about him, but he’s as much Dad’s kid as we are. Imagine how he must feel. Like a dirty little secret.” Curls sounded heartbroken. A quick glance confirmed the tears in her eyes.
“Dad didn’t know about him until last month. It’s not his fault.” Ms. Ponytail looped an arm across her sister’s shoulders, drawing her in for a hug.
“I’m not blaming him for having a surprise baby forty years ago. I’m blaming him for not telling Jake about it.” Despite her protest, Curls hugged her sister back.
“He doesn’t want to upset him.”
There was a pause before Curls replied, “Who would be upset about gaining family?”
Cami made it to the hallway without attracting any attention, then skittered back to Lenny’s room, ginger ale and chocolate clutched in her hands. When she reached the cusp of the doorway, though, she stopped, turning to lean against the painted stone blocks of the wall.
She ached like she’d been punched in the gut, all the wind knocked out of her lungs. Part of her raged for that poor boy. He’d been so comfortable with his sisters, and had gone so eagerly to see his ailing dad, but all three of them were lying to him. Actively keeping from him knowledge that would change his life, probably the way he viewed his father. Cami had never known her father. It was possible she had long lost siblings out there. Not likely, sure, but possible. If one of them turned up, she couldn’t imagine how she’d feel.
Still, that woman’s voice echoed in her head: Who would be upset about gaining family?
Cami Sutherland, apparently.
Lenny hadn’t meant to hurt her. She couldn’t prove that, but as much as Lenny’s lies crushed her, Cami didn’t feel the malice in them the way she had with Uncle Archie. Lenny hadn’t been forthcoming, but she supposed she could see why. If she thought about it, as much as she didn’t want to. Some girl shows up on her doorstep looking for her dead son, with nothing to her name but a backpack full of dirty clothes. Cami could understand being hesitant about that. Wanting to feel things out, make sure everything was on the up and up. After all, Cami shared as muchDNA with Archie as she did with Lenny herself. She could have been a con artist or a junkie looking for cash.
Lenny had allowed it to go on for too long, that much was certain. But it was easy for that to happen, to let lies spiral away from you until you thought you might never have to deal with them.
Like with Des and his real job.
“Shit,” Cami breathed.
As she entered Lenny’s room, the old woman’s gaze tracked Cami’s movements until she came to a halt next to the bed. Lenny reached for the chocolate bar immediately, with a “Kiddo, you sure know how to treat the sickies.”
“You’re not sick. Just a little busted up.”
Lenny shrugged, but winced in pain before the motion was even completed.
Cami’s spine shot straight. “Should I get a nurse? Do you need more meds?”
Lenny smiled tightly. “I’m not one to say no to morphine, but I’m all right.”
Cami got the impression Lenny was avoiding her eyes, struggling more with opening the chocolate bar than she would have otherwise. Lenny had never avoided looking at her before, and Cami couldn’t help the pang of guilt that tightened in her gut.
“Listen,” Cami said.
“I’m going to sell the store,” Lenny blurted.
Cami’s mouth clapped slut, her teeth clicking audibly.
