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“Of course.” She forced a smile.
“Savannah told me how much she enjoyed your shopping trip. And I appreciate it.”
Ellie was looking at me with a mixture of gratitude and annoyance. I hoped she realized that I was kissing Gloria’s ass forher.
“I’m always more than happy to help. You know that.”
Ellie rolled her eyes then bypassed Gloria and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll go check on the kids.”
Gloria watched her go then turned to me. “Are you sure about this? What kind of example is she setting for the children?”
I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?
“She got kicked out of college,” Gloria continued. “Doesn’t have a job. And that purple hair is—” She shook her head. “So unprofessional. Who will want to hire her?”
“I would. I trust her with my children, and I think if you look past the purple hair and the tattoo—”
Gloria whirled on me. “Tattoo?”
My eyes widened.Oh shit.I probably should not have mentioned that.
“I-I—”
But Gloria was marching off in the direction of the kitchen before I could undo the damage I’d caused. I cringed then sped after her. I was going to owe Ellie big-time.
By the time I’d made it to the kitchen, the kids were outside with Dan. And Gloria had cornered Ellie. Their argument was growing heated, but then I realized it was one-sided.
Gloria was berating Ellie, but Ellie’s face was frozen, as if she had no feelings. No expression. I’d seen it happen before when she was with Gloria, and I hated it. It was as if her body had gone into some sort of shock as a protective mechanism.
“A tattoo, seriously? Are you trying to ruin your life? Who will want to hire you now?” Gloria sneered.
Ellie dropped her head, her hands clenched at her sides.
I couldn’t take it anymore, and a surge of protectiveness had me blurting, “Enough.”
Ellie’s eyes flashed to mine in shock. Hell, I’d surprised myself.
“Oh, come on,” Gloria sighed as if I were the one being unreasonable when she was criticizing her daughter. “Eleanor has no degree. No experience.”
“Even if that were true, it doesn’t give you the right to speak to Ellie like that.”
Shocked. Stunned. Silence.
I wasn’t done. If Ellie wouldn’t speak up for herself, I would. “Ellie’s working on her degree, and she has a job. She’s moving to Japan to teach English at the end of the summer.”
Gloria’s attention whipped from me back to Ellie. “Is this true?”
Ellie nodded. Why didn’t she defend herself? And why did Gloria always assume the worst?
I gnashed my teeth. “Ellie’s worked really hard to get into the JET Program.” She’d told me about it earlier, her excitement growing the longer she spoke.
“I wish she’d apply herself more toward a master’s program or something useful. Not this frivolous…” She sighed, completely belittling Ellie and her accomplishments yet again. “You know, Teresa—” She adopted a lofty tone that annoyed the shit out of me.
“Yes,” I cut her off, not wanting to listen to her deify Tessa yet again. Yes, my wife had been a wonderful, smart, caring woman, but that didn’t mean Ellie wasn’t all those things as well. Both could be true. And the more Gloria talked, the more Ellie shrank into herself. “Tessa was wonderful. She achieved many things, just as Ellie has. And I’m sure she’ll continue to do so. Regardless of her accomplishments, she’s an incredible person.”
I didn’t wait for Gloria to respond. I placed my hand on Ellie’s lower back and ushered her into the dining room. I kept my attention straight ahead, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ellie’s mouth gaping open and closed like a fish.
Gloria had never been a particularly easy person to deal with, but our relationship had been strained since Tessa’s death. Gloria was bitter. Angry. She blamed me for Tessa’s death, when I’d merely been following Tessa’s wishes, heartbreaking as they were.
