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Joyce tries to back away from me, but I pull her close, embracing her to protect her. Judging by Jane’s dart-launching eyes, it is a needed precaution.
“I had to see it with my own eyes. Thisspectacle!” she shouts, gesturing widely to emphasize what she’s seeing. “You’re doting on them as if they’re family!”
Joyce holds me tight and buries her face within the folds of my shirt. Sophia comes to hold her too, and looks at Jane with her nose held high, fearless.
“Wearefamily, okay?” the teenager says, unafraid of the consequences.
Jane laughs a laughter that is more like an anguished scream. She takes a step closer to Sophia, and looking down on the girl, goes, “Family is blood, you little—”
“Jane!” I interrupt to reprimand her, “Are you drunk? High?”
She doesn’t take lightly to my words and lets out a growl in between gritted teeth that rubs me wrong like nails on a chalkboard.
“I’m in complete control of my faculties, Logan,” she says, “You’re the one who seems to be losing your mind!”
“Aunt Jane,” Anna gives it a try. “Why are you so angry?”
“Aunt Jane is angry because your father wants to replace you and me withthem,” Jane says bitterly, leaving my baby alarmed and worried.
“Jane,” Joyce cries out. “This is not what this is!”
“How dare you raise your tone to me?” Jane roars, making Joyce start to cry. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have a job right now!”
Joyce begins to sob, and Sophia looks at her sister with concern.
“Jane, that’senough!” I let Joyce go and move towards her. “Get back in your car and go straight home.”
“You’re not the boss of me, Logan John Bardin!” Jane untangles herself from me, then points to Joyce. “You were supposed to be the boss of her, but I guess you couldn’t even handle that.”
“You were never really my friend, were you?” Joyce asks, in utmost hurt. “Did you think that associating with someone less privileged would make you look good?”
At that, Jane jumps at Joyce, and I have to hold her back.
“I was your friend when you were sincere, and I could trust you!” Jane shouts, her claws out for Joyce. “But then you went and stabbed me in the back!”
Jane keeps on thrashing while I hold her, and I just call her name over and over until she comes back to reality. Huffing and puffing, she finally quiets down. I put her under my arm, then reach into my pocket and hand my keys to Joyce.
“Take the girls home. I’ll find my way there,” I say.
Joyce looks at the keys for a good while, but then finally takes them, and leaves in silence — Sophia and Anna protest under their breaths, but I am unable to hear what they say.
So now it’s only my sister and I, alone on Broadway Street. She’s crying a river against my blazer and exerting the remainder of my patience. I just hold her and let her go at it.
“Logan,” she cries in complaint. “You can’t let that girl separate us!”
I take a deep breath before speaking. I don’t want to say anything stupid and just make things worse. “The only one separating us is you Jane…”
I try to say it carefully and calmly, but my words don’t come across as intended — Jane pulls away, looks me dead in the eye, and indignantly shouts, “What did you say?!”
“What you heard,” I remain firm. “Jane, you’re acting like a child!”
She pushes me, but it barely makes me sway. Now angrier than ever, she takes a step back and looks at me from head to toe. “I’ma child?” she says. “Logan, you’re the one falling head over heels with the first woman who makes a pass at you!”
“I’m losing my patience with you, Jane,” I warn her with a finger in the air. “Stop talking smack about Joyce.”
“Oh, comeon, Logan!” Now she stomps her feet on the ground, throwing a tantrum worse than Anna when she wants candy and I say no. “That golden child act of hers can’t fool anyone! She’s a gold digger!”
“Jane,” I hold her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down. “You’re making a scandal. Stop this and let me take you home.”
