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“Yes?” Nora drew the word out, gave it at least three syllables.
“There was a thing in Liz Smiths column this week, one of those gossipy hints she loves to make-you know the ones. It sorta made it sound as if someone was writing a tell-all story about you. An ugly one. ”
“Thats hardly-”
“Its supposed to be by someone close to you. ” Nora released her breath in a sigh. She wasnt surprised; shed expected this, and yet still it hurt. “I see. ”
“And your housekeeper said you ripped up parking tickets and threw away jury summonses. Some guy on the city council said they were going to launch an investigation. ”
That was it. “Good-bye, Dee,” Nora said, uncertain as to whether her assistant was still talking or not.
She hung up the phone and wrenched the cupboard doors open.
There they were: the cheap, yellow crockery plates shed bought at a garage sale a lifetime ago. She picked one up, felt the heft of it in her hand. And hesitated.
There was no point in making a mess.
Launch an investigation.
She wound her arm back and threw the plate. it went flying through the air and smacked the wall by the arch, shattering.
Like Eyes Wide Shut . . . group sex.
She threw another one. It hit with a satisfying smack.
Open marriage . . . lousy tipper.
Another plate flew.
There were bits and pieces of china everywhere now; dents in the walls, scratches in the paint. Nora was breathing heavily. And smiling.
She should have tried this years ago. It actually helped. She reached for another plate.
Ten-million-dollar lawsuit
And sent it sailing across the room.
Just then, Ruby came running downstairs.
“What in the he-” She ducked, flung a protective hand across her face. The plate brushed past her head and hit the wall. When the pieces clattered to the floor; she hesitantly looked up. “Jesus, Mom . . . if you dont like the plates, buy a new set. ”
Nora sank to her knees on the hard, cold floor. She laughed until tears leaked out of her eyes . . . and then she was crying.
She buried her face in her han
ds, ashamed to let her daughter see her like this, but she couldnt seem to stop . . .
It was too much for her suddenly, all of it-Erics illness, her career; her ruined reputation.
She felt lonely, and old. A woman whod traded everything in her life for a treasured gold coin, and found that in a heavy rain, the gold had washed off, leaving an ordinary bit of copper in her hand.
She looked up at Ruby, saw her daughter through a blurry curtain of tears.
“Mom?” Ruby knelt in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?”
“In that Courtney Love, presurgery, after-concert sort of way. ” She reached out, pushed a damp strand of hair out of Noras eyes. “What happened?”
