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“Right.” The girl backed away.
“Shelley!”
“What?”
“Don’t go anywhere.”
With a whispered exclamation that Martha did not care to have repeated; her daughter slammed the car door and tramped, in a new pair of black army-type boots that Martha personally hated, up to the front door.
“What’s with her?” Rebecca asked. The younger girl was still sitting in the car.
“Your dad, what happened to Ellen—it’s hard on all of us, sweetie,” Martha said, hooking a stray lock of hair that had fallen from Rebecca’s ponytail back behind her ear.
“Right, it’s hard on all of us,” Rebecca said with uncharacteristic sharpness. “That doesn’t mean she gets to act like a jerk!”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Rebecca showed no sign of getting out of the car. Martha wished she had all day to sit there with her, but she had to get to Tim’s practice.
In that moment, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed. How had a perfect life with four lovely children turned into a nightmare with four angry children who had needs she couldn’t seem to meet?
“Can I come with you to practice?”
“Of course!” Martha frowned. “But why? You hate Tim’s practices.”
“I hate being home alone with that ho even more.”
“Rebecca!”
“Well, she is, Mom. Last night she stole money from my wallet!”
Oh, God.
“That’s a pretty serious accusation, young lady. I’m assuming you have proof?”
“No,” Rebecca said, her face downcast. “And that’s what she said this morning when I told her to give it back.”
“You can’t accuse someone unless you’re sure, sweetie,” Martha said, enjoying the small bit of relief. “You probably just spent it. Or lost it.” Rebecca was known for misplacing things.
“I know she took it,” Rebecca said again, in the whiny tone that set Martha’s nerves on edge. “I had it there when I came home, I know I did, because Katie asked me to go to the movies this weekend and I checked to make sure I still had enough allowance left. And when I came out of the shower because I forgot my pajamas, Shelley was in my room.”
Oh, God. Again.
“Did you ask her what she was doing?”
?
?Yeah, she said she was getting a shirt.”
“The one she was wearing today?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, there you go then.” It was good enough for Martha. Her middle daughter was belligerent. Dressing terribly. And chewing far too much gum. But she was no thief.
Besides, Rebecca and Tim didn’t know it but, now that Shelley was driving and helping out with household errands and being around for the younger two, she got twice the allowance they did. There was no reason she would’ve needed her sister’s money.
“TIME’S RUNNING OUT, Ms. Carr. Could you please ask her again?”
