“When you’re not on Jessica Fletcher overload? A lot. Seriously, I don’t want to get burned a third time. But I already feel burned. I want him and yet...”
“You’re afraid.” Louise sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to say, Zona. I’m afraid for you. Each time your heart got broken, mine broke for you. You know I want you to find someone who will be good to you. Good for you. But I don’t want to see you hurt, and we both know this man has... baggage.”
“I have baggage. And I’m already hurt, Mom.”
“I know you are, sweetie. But...” She cut herself off.“Life’s short. I guess neither of us wants to spend it in limbo. But I want you to be very sure.”
“I thought I’d had a sign.”
“A sign?”
Zona shook her head. “Never mind.” There was no more time for a shrink session. She was going to be late for work.
“Well, you’ll sort it out. Speaking of sorting things out,” Louise began.
“It looks like you and Martin have been doing some sorting out.”
“You could say that,” Louise said.
“I’m glad, Mom. I want to hear more, but right now I’ve got to get going. I’m going to be late for work.”
Louise looked a little disappointed.
“I expect a full report when I get home,” Zona said. “Gilda should be here any minute.” She kissed her mother on the cheek. “I’ll see you later. And thanks, Mom, for listening. I love you.”
“Love you more,” said Louise.
It was good to be loved. By your mother, your daughter, your friends.
What about by a certain man? Did she dare take the risk?
“I DON’T KNOW,”said Gilda when Louise shared her concerns over Zona. “Everybody’s got somebody crazy in their family.”
“But this woman...” Louise shook her head.
Gilda blew off her concerns with a shrug. “This woman is nothing. Did I ever tell you about my cousin? He got into drugs and went all paranoid. Shot a friend in the stomach and went to jail for years. He’s out now, but he’s a hermit. Nobody sees him.”
“Somehow, I don’t see this girl becoming a hermit once she gets out.”
“No, but after all this she’ll see the well’s run dry. She’ll move on, find some other family member to mooch off of and make miserable. That’s what users do.”
“Maybe you’re right,” said Louise.
“I still think he’s kind of a jerk though. Even if he did teach Darling to sit,” Gilda added. “He wasn’t very nice about the whole bone thing. The man has no sense of humor.”
THE FOR-SALE SIGNwas up in Alec’s yard when Zona got home. She didn’t bother to pull her car into the driveway. She kept on going right to the grocery store. There she purchased an entire half gallon of cookies and cream ice cream. There was nothing wrong with clichés.
She came home to find her mom and Gilda busily planning Louise’s cast-off celebration. “We can have it the weekend after Labor Day,” Louise said.
“Isn’t your cast coming off before that?” asked Zona as she stowed away the ice cream.
“It is, but Martin and I are taking a little trip to San Francisco to celebrate,” Louise said, looking smug.
“Pretty soon I’ll be out of a job,” said Gilda.
“But not out of a friendship,” Louise assured her. “You will come to the wedding, right?”
Zona dropped onto the nearest chair. “Wedding? What? When?”
