Gus sighed. “Yes, I’m worried about her too. She’s late. I hope everything is all right.”
“She’s fine,” Mia muttered.
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“Nothing. I’m going to try and call her again.” Mia went to the kitchen and dialed her wayward cousin’s number. For the third straight time, it went to voicemail.
Mia stared at her phone. “Did she block me?”
She marched back to the living room. “She’s not answering her phone.”
Gus closed her Bible. “I thought she was supposed to be here every morning so you could go into work.”
“Yep. That was the plan. The school district has approved my FMLA so that when you go in for your surgery, I can have the time. But Anne Marie was supposed to already be here so I could get my class ready for the substitute. I have all of my IEP meetings scheduled this week too.”
“This is silly, Mia. Go to work! I’ll be fine for a few hours. I’m an adult. You don’t need to babysit me like I’m a child. My mind isn’t affected by my age.”
Mia walked to her aunt and sat on the loveseat next to the recliner. “I know that. But Gus, the doctor said you shouldn’t be alone for long periods of time. And I don’t mind helping you. I know that you’d do anything for me if I needed it.”
Gus patted her hand. “I would. That’s what family does.”
Not in my world.
What was she supposed to do now? There was no way she could leave Gus to fend for herself.
Gus looked at the watch she wore on her slim wrist. “Oh my. It’s ten thirty. That handsome young newscaster is on now.”
She reached out and turned on the TV to the local news. The male anchor in his suit shifted to an image of a gorgeous reporter with a toothpaste smile. Her blonde hair had been expertly styled to curl over the shoulders of her dress, and she held the microphone with freshly manicured fingers. “Thanks, Dan. In downtown Renegade, police are fighting to keep up with a new drug going around. Last month, this drug claimed the lives of nine people, four of them under the age of eighteen. Yesterday, there was another tragedy…”
Mia abruptly stood. She didn’t want to hear another story about a young life cut short by a drug overdose. One of her colleagues had lost a nephew to drugs last year. It had been heart-wrenching to watch.
Her car was full of boxes of supplies she needed to bring to her classroom. And she needed to finish writing some IEPs, the individualized educational plans for her students with learning disabilities. She could do that here at home, but Gus didn’t have Wi-Fi, and Mia didn’t want to use her hotspot. The IEP website often kicked her out when she wasn’t on the school’s internet.
Her phone rang. She recognized Shannon’s ringtone and grabbed the phone. “Hey, Shannon. Hang on for a minute.”
She walked to the back patio. “I’m back. Gus is watching TV, and I didn’t want to disturb her. Matt Stone is the anchor.”
Shannon laughed. “Say no more. He’s a handsome guy.”
“Sure is. What’s up?”
“Well, I wanted to let you know that I’ve called in the situation we talked about.”
“Oh. Thanks. I know you can’t tell me more right now.”
“Truth, girl. I also wanted to know if you got paid.”
Mia sighed. “Nope. The district has never heard of the foundation. And I did some digging last night. I think their website is down.”
“Bummer. Keep me posted.”
Mia didn’t tell her about Anne Marie. While she trusted Shannon, she didn’t feel right telling tales on her cousin. After all, she was family. And Mia didn’t actually know where the woman had gone.
The front door swung open, and Anne Marie’s voice floated through the house.
“I gotta go, Shannon. I’ll call you back.” Mia marched out to meet her cousin.
Anne Marie stood in the living room, her chin lifted in defiance. Gus stared up at her niece, lips pursed.
