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“Yeah, well.” Thelma smacked her lips, contemplated her pack of cigarettes, and carefully set them far away on the table. “She took her own daddy’s leaving hard.”
Grandpa left for another woman and started a new family, forgetting his old one. My dad chose a substance, and it was easier not to take personally.
Easier, but not easy. And ultimately, like Mom, I had fallen for a real bad boy who wore a coat of polish like camouflage. Only I wasn’t going back to California to be with him. I would return to fight Frederick.
I ached at the thought of leaving Crocus Valley, but really, without Cody, what was there for me? Thelma would worry more if she was around to see me struggle.
Figured I’d finally meet a nice guy at a time when we couldn’t stay to see if we worked. Cody was someone who treated me right and who I didn’t feel the need to protect myself against. Was I delusional? Or was it only because we were temporary?
I hated the idea we were ending, but I’d take all the orgasms I could get. “I’d better get going.” I gave my glass a quick wash and set it on the drying rack by the sink. Then I gave Thelma a peck on the cheek and was out the door.
The humidity in the air clung to me, and the clouds concealing the sky were dark and heavy. A fresh smell of impending rain hung in the air. I was almost to the house when Kali darted out her front door.
“It’s going to rain!” Her panic rang through the quiet street.
“Looks like it.”
“How are we going to practice for our performance?”
Her grandma came out of the house, barefoot and wearing a quilted robe, her thinning gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Kali, don’t bother Tova about the dancing.”
Kali’s eyes glittered, and she rose to her tiptoes. “But we already missed Friday and yesterday.”
I hated letting her down. Grayson had made sure to work on the steps. He was invested in the idea of a backyard performance before the end of summer, but since Ivy wasn’t as into it, I didn’t think Kali and the other kids had their hearts set on it like Grayson. I should have known better, but it’d been years since I’d taught children. “How about I talk to Cody? Maybe we can practice inside, but we’d have to be really quiet.”
Could five kids dancing be quiet enough?
“That’d be great!” Kali gave me a huge grin, turned it on her grandma, and ran back inside.
Sima met my gaze, her mouth in a rueful twist. “Let me know if it doesn’t work out. I’ll break it to her.”
“Thank you. Too bad we can’t use the old theater.”
“Why can’t you?”
“I’m sure there is insurance and rent and—”
She waved her hand like she could erase my concerns. “Let me talk to my husband. Maybe he can work something out with Dave and Shelly.”
Dave and Shelly were the theater owners, but the place had been closed for months, according to Thelma. Regardless, I didn’t have rent money. “I appreciate it, but it’s okay. We’d need bathrooms and water fountains.” The kids wanted to hydrate every seven minutes.
“The plumbing works. Bill just fixed a leak there last month. I’ll get back to you.” She shuffled inside. I stared at the screen door for a few extra moments and then crossed to Cody’s house.
My excitement rose higher with each step. A performance. In a theater! I didn’t care if we did it in the backyard and the lawn wasn’t mowed or it was drizzling. I wanted to witness the accomplishment on the kids’ faces. Their achievements and pride were my own special drug.
I went to knock, but Grayson’s wails reached my ears. Instead, I tried the door. It swung open. Ivy was burrowed into the corner of the couch with an iPad propped in front of her face. I could see through the living room into the dining room and kitchen area. A puddle gleamed on the floor, and Grayson’s cries were coming from that direction.
I smiled at Ivy. “Good morning.”
She poked at her pad. “Morning.” She was in purple leggings and a Disney princess T-shirt today, the one her uncle Austen had given her. No dress, and her hair was loose. She wasn’t back to looking like she was dressing for the office at the start of the day. Had Cody decided on casual, or had it been a rough morning?
From the way Ivy was checked out of whatever was happening, I voted on tumultuous morning.
I crept into the kitchen. The deep murmur of Cody’s voice was like a siren’s song, drawing me closer. When I turned the corner, I found Cody in gray slacks and a light green dress shirt, crouched next to Grayson’s chair. The boy had his head down, sobs wracking his body. He wasn’t in a polo and khaki shorts.
Cody glanced at me. His gaze momentarily heated and swept down my body, making my shirt and shorts feel like one of my burlesque outfits.
Two seconds later, he was back to businesslike. “He spilled on his Spider-Man shirt.”
