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“The lease to your very own apartment here in Houston.” Mom beamed as if she’d presented Vi with a winning lottery ticket.
Vi stared at her. “Mom, I’m not living in Houston.”
Mom’s bright smile faltered a tad. “Well, of course not. You’ve said it often enough. Think of it as a weekend getaway. Goodness knows there’s entertainment galore here in the metroplex.”
“I’m not moving here, Mom.” Vi stuffed the lease agreement back into the envelope and placed it on the coffee table. The idea suffocated her. The testy attitude she had tamped down all morning roared in protest over Mom’s latest ploy. Choose love, Vi. She steeled herself with a deep breath. A minute spark of hope chased through her weary mind and guided the way. If Vi mentioned Dad’s letters, maybe the conversation would drift in a different direction. At the very least, maybe they wouldn’t argue over Vi’s non-existent move to Houston.
“Mom, I have a question, but Cyrus needs a walk. You’re welcome to come with me, or we can talk when we’re done. Your call.”
Mom stared at Vi as if an enormous pimple had sprouted on her nose. “Did you invite me to do something with you?”
Vi winced at her mother’s incredulous tone.
The older woman stood so fast coffee sloshed out of her china cup. Mom hastily dabbed at the rug, then glanced down at her formal pantsuit. “Let me put on a pair of boots and get my coat.” She strode from the room, mumbling about a shopping trip for outdoor clothes.
Vi’s head spun at the turnaround. What if she embraced Mom instead of constantly pushing her away? Her stomach tightened at the red envelope on the coffee table. No embracing yet.
Cyrus wanted more than a sedate stroll. When they stepped off the portico into the chilly day, he tugged at the leash as they wandered the grounds. Vi issued sharp commands, which he responded to, though his golden eyes pleaded for freedom. “You can let off steam on the way back,” she promised with a smile. It required all her willpower to rein him in. Mom kept up, sidestepping muddy spots. This stroll would ruin her soft-looking boots, but she didn’t seem to care.
Vi stopped to admire a grove of gnarly mesquite trees, their bare branches a mass of tangles. The heaviest limbs drooped and lay on the ground, sucker branches still spiraling upward. Christmas lights from the front eaves of the house sparkled through the spidery boughs. Two white rocking chairs sat on the front porch. The enormous dwelling had a graceful, old-money air—a living, breathing embodiment of Rodney. She could grow fond of this.
As the wind grew fierce, they hurried back and huddled in the rockers. Vi let Cyrus off the leash. He capered about, nose poking into the shrubbery. Weak sunlight helped to dispel the chill. The wind whistled with the fragrance of rain. She wouldn’t get a better opportunity.
Vi swallowed an icy breath. “Mom, during the demo stage of the remodel, Rory, my contractor, found Dad’s electronic tablet wedged between couch cushions. It had a few documents on it—letters Dad wrote to me. I’ll give you copies if you want.”
Mom’s rocker stilled. “I’d like that.” The wistfulness in her words pierced Vi’s heart.
Vi’s throat closed, but she forced out what she’d wanted to ask since she’d read the letter with Dad’s version of Mom’s second marriage. “What happened with Wa-Wallace?” Vi could barely utter the man’s name. Mom had never talked about him or their marriage, as if he’d never existed. Vi knew better. She had the scars to prove it.
Mom’s eyes held a deep well of sadness. Oh, no.
To Vi’s amazement, two fat tears rolled down her mother’s cheeks. She turned aside to peer out at the expansive lawn. Minutes passed. Vi opened her mouth to apologize.
Then Mom’s lips parted, and the air puffed white. “It was such a difficult time. Looking back, I made mistakes I’ll regret for the rest of my life.” She exhaled another frosty puff. “You and your dad always loved that old house, but I hated it. And living in the sticks.” Her glassy eyes were far away. “I was so unhappy, it made listening to Mother easy. She painted such a wonderful picture of our lives if only I moved back home. Away from Thomas.” An unladylike snort bubbled from her lips. “Mother detested him.” Mom’s fists tightened in her lap.
“So, I divorced Thomas and moved the two of us to Houston. Mom and I argued constantly. I’ve never cared for Valiant, but I missed your dad. When Wallace came along, I married him quickly. Too late, I figured out his true nature.”
Her hard gaze razored into Vi. “I drank to numb the pain. I couldn’t see, or didn’t want to see, what Wallace did—to you.” She blinked and took a shuddery breath. “Your dad confronted me. Thomas let me believe if I didn’t straighten up, he would take you away from me.” Her eyes misted.
Vi tore her eyes away to gather her thoughts. Cyrus was happily digging holes in a patch of expensive amaryllis. “I remember how unhappy you were. How did the divorce happen?”
Mom flicked her carefully arranged hair with pink-tipped fingers. “I can tell you what I think took place, though neither your dad nor Wallace would ever admit to anything.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Tru looked around the expansive property, then sighed ruefully. “I believe Thomas found Wallace after one of his gambling stints or he might have been with another woman.” One delicate brow lifted. “Wallace’s vices outnumbered his good traits.” Stark misery filled her eyes as she looked at Vi.
Vi raised her chin, then looked away.
Mom sniffed, her mouth turning up on one side. “He came home after one of his all-nighters looking worse than usual and kept yelling about my ‘crazy ex-husband.’ I think your dad found him and beat the daylights out of him.” Tru tugged one end of her scarf and shrugged. “Oh, I suppose it wasn’t right in the eyes of the law, but knowing Thomas still cared gave me the gumption to stand up to Wallace. After the divorce, Thomas helped me get back on my feet again, this time without Mother.”
Vi found her voice through the bricks lodged in her throat. “Did y’all ever try to get back together?”
Mom offered a tired smile. “We talked about it. But Thomas didn’t want to live in Houston, and I couldn’t abide Valiant. Neither of us was interested in a long-distance relationship. When Thomas said all or nothing, I agreed.”
Somehow, it didn’t surprise Vi. She knew how stubborn her parents could get. The coldness from Vi’s icy feet crept up her legs. “Mama, Daddy loved you to the end.”
Mom dipped her chin. “I never quit loving him either. We’d settled into a stalemate—one of the few things we did well—when I met Rodney. He loves me, Vi.” Her next words were soft. “You’ve probably been afraid to ask, given my history, but I love him too. Differences of opinion are inevitable, but we keep it civil.” A sad chuckle left her lips. “Thomas and I didn’t know how to fight fair.”
