Lily couldn’t talk to Azalea right now; she wanted to kick Azalea right in the ass. Sam had pulled up at 6:30 that morning and honked the horn. Azalea had scooped up Susie and run out to him.
Violet would be full of advice and Iris would rail. She needed somebody reasonable to talk to.
“Hello, Mother. Is Dad around?”
“Yes he is, Lily, why do you want him?”
Lily really did not need “the Drama from the Mama” right now.
“I have an investment question.”
“On the Sabbath?”
“Can I talk to Dad, or not?”
“I don’t appreciate that to—“
“Lil?”
“Dad! Can we talk privately somewhere?”
“Why don’t I meet you at the Sanctuary. The kids can feed the geese.”
“Okay I’ll meet you there in a half hour.”
She hung up the Blackberry and sat in the car for a few minutes. She wanted to make sure her face was set before the kids saw her. She closed her eyes and prayed, “Help me, Help me, Help me!”
“What are you doing, Mom?” It was Jared, still scowling.
“I am listening to the quiet.”
“You’re weird.”
Lily counted to ten. She only got to 8 and Anna was in the driveway saying, “Mom, Jared was on the Play Station the whole time you were gone. You can even check it, it’s still hot.”
“I’m gonna pound on you, you freaking little tattle-tale.”
Without a word, Lily pulled out of the driveway and left her stunned children standing there open-mouthed. Lily bit the bullet and called Violet.
“Vi, I’m having a really, really bad day. The children are being absolutely vile and I need your help.”
“What’s going on, Lil?”
“I’ll tell you later. Can you or Dale go pick them up and take them back to your place?”
“Dale’s got meetings and my leg is acting up. I’ll send Patrick.”
“Thanks Vi. I owe you.”
“Yeah, bring me a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.”
“A. It’s the Sabbath. B. Dale and your doctor would kill me. April’s coming, Honey.”
“I know. I know.”
“You’re still my favorite.”
“You say that to all the girls.”
Lily drove to the wildlife sanctuary and sat quietly staring at the wolf enclosure until her father’s Saturn pulled into the spot next to her.
“Where are the kids?”
“I left them. Patrick is taking them back to Vi’s place.”
“Vi’s not doing so well you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Hopefully, that gastric bypass will help. The human body was not designed to get that big. Now what’s up with you?”
“I’ve been downsized or hostilely taken over. I don’t know. ‘Capable Living changed hands effective immediately. Here’s a letter of recommendation, your check is in the mail, don’t the let the door hit you on your way out.’”
“Aw geez, Lil. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Dad.”
“You shouldn’t have any trouble. You’re good at what you do, and, by golly Kiddo, you always land on your feet. I wondered why you stayed so long at that night shift thing.”
“The money was good and I was home with the kids.”
“Except overnight.”
“Yes, except overnight. I thought it would help me get a handle on Susie.”
“Susie is Azalea’s daughter. She needs to get her own handle on Susie.”
“Azalea hasn’t got a handle on anything. Sam’s off his meds again.”
Arthur swore and threw some feed corn to the geese.
“You know, Lily,” he said, “you love your kids, you try to protect them from all the bad things in the world. You teach them not to talk to strangers. The next thing you know their married to the exact thing you were trying to protect them from. First there was your thing Derek. Hanky panky at the office right under my nose. That takes…Where is he now? Denver?”
“Sedona.”
“Sedona. Cripes! Now Azalea. I knew he was, you know, not right in the head somehow, but you can’t tell Azalea anything.”
“The others are all right.” Lily said. “Dale is a gem.”
“Dale is a fag.”
“He’s a very sweet heterosexual fag and a great husband and father.”
“That’s true and Pat and Spence turned out okay.”
“Pat and Spence are great…Manly grandsons for you,” she teased.
“And Ted is about as exciting as a Chia pet.”
“He’s perfect for Iris. She needs the silent type so she doesn't have to let him get a word in.”
“The twins are so far away.”
“They’re happy.”
“Twins married to twins living in a duplex. They’re weird. Lily my kids are weird. Present company excepted.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m sorry, kid. You’re worried, you just lost your job, and I’m not helping.”
“I don’t need you to help, Dad. Just know about this with me.”
He got out his wallet and said, handing her a hundred-dollar bill, “Here, take this.”
“No, Dad,” she said pushing his hand away, “we’re fine for now. I put a little away every paycheck. We’ve got food storage.”
They walked in companionable silence around the pond. They shared Life Savers that Arthur always had in his pocket.
“Well, Bubeleh, I better get back. Your mother has people coming for Sunday dinner.”
“Okay Dad. Thanks for the talk.”
Arthur chucked Lily’s chin and kissed her cheek. When she got into her car she found that he’d taken the opportunity of their embrace to slip the hundred bucks into her purse.