“Which is what he left us with.”
“He’s trying to make amends,” Louise pointed out.
“Too little, too late.”
“Was this a onetime deal?”
“No, he says there’ll be more,” Zona said. “He’s joined Gamblers Anonymous.”
“Good for him.”
“Yeah, good for him. Why couldn’t he have done that before ruining our lives?” Zona demanded.
“Because he couldn’t see that he was ruining your lives,” Louise suggested.
“Oh, he could see,” Zona said bitterly.
“Sometimes people have to hit rock bottom before they can really take stock of where they are. It looks like that’s what happened with Gary. At least he’s working on making things right. Maybe you could work on forgiving him just a little.”
“He devastated me, Mom. And now here he is with his little check, hoping I’ll give him absolution. It’s like somebody stabbing you multiple times and then visiting you in the hospital with flowers.”
“We all get stabbed by someone sooner or later.”
Those were not the words Zona wanted to hear. “You know, it wasn’t so long ago that you were wishing all kinds of bad things on him.”
“You’re right,” Louise admitted. “I hated him for what he’d done to you, and I wasn’t happy to see him at the door just now. But this is a new Gary, trying to make things right. Maybe it’s time to forgive him.”
Zona gave a disgusted huff. “How am I supposed to do that?”
Louise shrugged. “Don’t give him any more headspace. Quit looking back. After all, you can’t change the past. Be thankful he’s at least trying to improve your future. Just don’t depend on him for it.”
Break the rearview mirror. Rev the engine. Run over Gary’s foot as you drive away.
“I’ll think about it,” Zona said.
Maybe it was time to get Gary out of her head. She didn’t need him in there, messing with her decision-making gears.
Zona texted Bree that there was a check waiting for her at Gram’s and got busy getting dinner ready. She doubted seeing a small check from her former stepdad would soften Bree’s heart toward him any more than it had hers. Either way they’d take the money.
Gilda arrived with cupcakes from Crust & Crumble, with Martin on her heels bringing wine and a DVD.
“What are you guys watching tonight?” Zona asked him.
He held it up. “Invitation to a Murder.”
“Charming,” she said. “Just make sure Mom doesn’t accept the invitation.”
He chuckled. “Your poor mother. She’s never going to live down her mistaken assumptions about Alec James.”
“Afraid not,” Zona agreed.
Louise had arrived to greet him and in time to overhear their conversation. “I wasn’t all wrong. There was trouble over there.”
“Well, there’s not now, so you can put away the crazy,” Zona told her.
Louise scowled. “I have never been crazy. Mistaken maybe. But not crazy. Or senile,” she added.
Zona was glad to see Louise had gotten rid of that worry. And no, her mother wasn’t crazy. Just a little... overimaginative.
