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The women are sitting silently on the couch when we enter. They stare at me with dead eyes. But their expressions warm when the girls bounce forward.
“We brought flowers,” Evie explains and offers a handful of golden columbines they tugged out of the ground on the way over. “They are the same color as pineapple but don’t eat them.”
The women thank the girls but refuse to make eye contact with me. I’m used to women castoffs treating me like the enemy.
“We’re walking over to HQ for dinner,” Jules explains, offering her beautiful smile to soothe their anxiety toward me. “Would you like to come with us?”
The women don’t want to leave the house. I see them considering if “no” is an option. They’re dressed in nearly matching T-shirts and jeans. I’m not sure how the sleeping arrangements were decided. The Sanctuary’s shrink worked it out with the women back at Refuge Clinic. I sense some of the Dolls aren’t fond of each other.
Despite wanting to hide, the women agree to walk with us to HQ. Chaperones have brought over two other groups of Dolls. The one named Celine is visiting Giselle for dinner.
Jules explains to the women how HQ works and tells them they can sit with each other or at separate tables. Without a doubt, they don’t want to sit together.
Despite their wariness of each other, the Sanctuary’s shrink wants the Dolls to start participating in group therapy. She figures they might do well speaking openly and airing grievances. I got the impression the Dolls were expected to view each other as rivals rather than friends or family. Therapy should eventually help them see past their training.
With the growing number of Sanctuary members, we’ve been looking for an extra shrink. A former child castoff is finishing up her degree and training to join our community. Though she doesn’t do one-on-one sessions yet, she’ll be in charge of organizing the group therapy.
I look over the women, finding them tired and wary. Jules is likely unsure about them. I notice how she keeps holding the girls’ hands and maneuvering them away from the strangers.
“Don’t be a chump,” Zoey tells Jules.
“I’m having a hard day.”
Zoey’s smartass expression disappears immediately. She lunges for Jules and hugs her for a long time, while Evie and I walk around to say hello to everyone.
“Your sister is bogarting Jester,” Buzzsaw complains when I stop at his table.
“No,” Evie tells him. “Zoey is hugging Jules.”
“Notyoursister,” he mutters as she waves off his irritation. “Yourdad’ssister.”
“Your aunt, sweetie,” Bunny explains.
“No,” Evie tells him. “You’re wrong. I’m not wrong. I’m five years old.”
The founders and their women frown at me in unison. I only smile at their attempt to intimidate me.
“She might be running things by the time you’re using walkers.”
“Sister Sass will never run the club,” Tank grumbles. “She told me last week how she doesn’t want to be in charge of the elderly.”
Chuckling, I stroke Evie’s blonde ponytail. “No, I meant my daughter.”
As if sensing I’m irritating the masses, Flagg shows up at my side. He glances at Jules and Zoey hugging nearby before sighing.
“It’s been a few busy days.”
“That it has.”
“And Jester is in a weird place.”
“That he is.”
Narrowing his blue eyes, Flagg can’t help reminding me of his dead twin brother, Kraken. “But you know how things can fester.”
“It’s been three days,” I tell Flagg before looking at the others. “Jester’s having fun with his hot new girlfriend. Once they get bored of each other, I’m sure he’ll be hitting you all up for drinks and games of pool.”
The founders scowl hard as if they hadn’t viewed Sister Sass as girlfriend material. Maybe they only see her as a kid. Or they just never really put two and two together. But they settle down when they imagine Jester ignoring them for pussy. The world suddenly makes sense again.
