Page 100

They both groaned. I had a feeling we were headed straight toward a temper tantrum, and I had never fully mastered how to calm those down.

“It’s okay. I’ll eat with you guys.”

I shook my head. “That’s really not necessary.”

“It’s for them, not you.”

Then Beatrice grabbed my hand. “Please?”

Dammit. She’d learned that from Agnes.

And I knew it would work.

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Beatrice practically bounced across the room and Agnes dragged Jade with her.

Moments later, we were crowded around a small table.

“Did you know that Gabriel makes video games?” Jade asked the girls.

I could only stare. I wasn’t sure she knew what I did. I had thought she was done with me the second I left town.

“Yeah, I heard about them.” Agnes shrugged, looking far older than she really was. Beatrice blinked.

“Mom never lets us play video games,” Beatrice said.

“I found a way. She has it on her computer.”

“She’s gonna be so mad.”

Jade caught my eye and I saw the same sad expression that I felt. Sometimes, the girls referred to Alice in present tense as if she would come home at any time. We talked to therapists back in San Francisco about them not processing her death. They warned me it would take a long time, and that was another reason I needed to get back.

I was sure they needed a lot more therapy.

It was something I needed to handle, yet I had no idea what to do.

“Sneaking around is something I did a lot too,” Jade said. “When I was a kid, I would steal my dad’s video games and play them all the time. Then I would beat his high score and he would get so mad.”

“You would also beat my high score and I’d get mad,” I added.

Jade smiled. “Yeah, but you gave me a good run for my money.”

“So, you two knew each other?” Agnes asked. “Does that mean you’re both old?”

“Hey,” Jade said. “Thirty is not old.”

“Technically, we’re over thirty,” I reminded her.

“Shut up,” she hissed.

“Being over thirty means you’re a grandmother. Where are your gray hairs?” Agnes asked.

“That’s why her hair is cool colors. She’s doing it to stop from feeling how sad she is that she’s old!” Beatrice yelled. People turned and stared, but Jade glared at them all until they stopped.

“Or I’m way cooler than either of you and that’s why my hair is like this. What are you guys gonna do when you’re eventually over thirty? Are you gonna refer to yourselves as grandmothers?”

“That’s so sad.” Beatrice sniffed. “I’ll have a walker by then.”