Winifred kept wiping. “In the basement, where she belongs.”
“Thanks a bunch, Grandma.” She dumped her backpack on a chair and headed downstairs.
The Winifred invasion was twenty-four hours old and she’d already overstayed her welcome. Cheyenne bounded into the room and jumped up on Casey.
“Her leash was tied to the stair railing,” Summer said, glaring at Winifred.
“Animals don’t belong in kitchens or bedrooms. They’re filled with disgusting germs and parasites.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “Casey thinks it’s okay, right, Casey?”
“Well, let’s compromise.” She calmed the dog down. “How about if Cheyenne stays out of the kitchen during meal times?”
“See?” Summer stuck out her tongue at her grandmother.
“Summer, stop it,” Casey said.
“What on earth is the matter with you?” Winifred stared at her granddaughter. “You were never this rude before Casey became your guardian.”
Summer’s smug expression vanished. “It’s not because of Casey. And it’s not because of school or my friends.”
Winifred tossed her sponge on the counter. “Are you on drugs?”
“No!” Summer’s lower lip quivered. “You don’t get it.”
“All I get, as you put it, is that you’re more belligerent everyday.” Winifred plunked her hands on her hips. “Why is that?”
A tear rolled down Summer’s cheeks. She started to say something else, but stopped and paced around the table. Part of Casey wanted to intervene, but part of her wanted to hear what Summer had to say.
“Answer me,” Winifred said.
“You never talk about Mom!” Summer’s anguish tore through the room. “You act like she’s dead! No one’s called her in weeks, or even asked if I want to talk to her.”
Guilt warmed Casey’s face.
Winifred said, “Your mother doesn’t call us either—”
“You’ve never once said her name since she went to prison,” Summer went on.
“Are you trying to tell me that mentioning your mother’s name now and then will improve your manners?”
While Summer began to sob, Casey slumped into a chair. Just as she’d feared, Summer hadn’t really accepted or adjusted to life without Rhonda. She’d hoped that the camping trips, shopping excursions, sports, and tons of movies during those first few weeks had helped Summer; but since school started, they’d both been busier. New friends had entered Summer’s life. It had been easier to blame those girls for Summer’s actions than to understand what was really happening.
“Acting out while your mother’s away won’t solve anything.” Winifred pointed her finger at her grandchild. “You might as well make the best of it, young lady.”
“How can I?” Summer shouted. “She’s a thousand times better mom than you are!”
Winifred’s eyes blazed. “She’s not a real mom at all. She doesn’t know the first thing about giving birth or watching a child die like I have!”
“Winifred, no!” Casey leapt to her feet.
Winifred’s eyes bulged as if surprised by her own outburst. Casey wanted to slap duct tape over the stupid woman’s mouth. Winifred knew that Rhonda had never wanted Summer to hear the truth.
“What’s she talking about?” Summer turned to Casey. “Mom gave birth to me.”
Oh lord, what was she supposed to say?
“No,” Winifred answered, crossing her arms. “She didn’t.”
Summer gasped. “What?”
Casey wanted to explain, but it felt like someone had kicked her in the ribs. She rushed to Summer and started to put her arms around her, but Summer pushed her away.
“Tell me!” Summer’s gaze darted from one to the other.
Cheyenne whimpered and nudged Summer’s hand.
“I had another daughter, ten years younger than Rhonda.” Winifred’s mouth quivered. “Anna died of a heroine overdose two months after she gave birth to you. She was eighteen.”
Casey gripped the back of the chair while the color drained from Summer’s face. The old bat hadn’t approved of Rhonda’s desire to keep the past a secret. Helpless to stop what was about to unfold, she braced herself.
“Anna tried to take care of herself when she was pregnant,” Winifred added. “Right after your birth, she picked up that filthy habit again.”
Summer slumped into a chair. “Who’s my dad?”
“No one knows.” Winifred fumbled through her pockets, as if looking for something. “You had health problems at first, but with professional help, you recovered. When Anna died, Rhonda adopted you.”
Summer jumped up and dashed out of the room. Cheyenne bounded after her.
Casey’s heart pounded so hard she could only take quick shallow breaths. “How could you do that?”
Winifred picked up her cleaning rag. “It’s wrong to live with deceit.”
“It was Rhonda’s call to make, not yours!”
“Rhonda’s not here! My daughters aren’t here because they made bad choices.” She glowered at Casey. “Do you actually think you’re competent enough to control that girl?”
“Are you?” Casey’s voice rose. “I mean, your track record isn’t too great, is it?”
“And you have no record at all!” Shades of red mottled Winifred’s face. “You’re destroying Summer!”
“She’s a grieving twelve-year-old who misses her mom. I know what that’s like.”
The bitterness and resentment toward Mother was still vivid. Casey wished she’d ended their estrangement when Mother offered her the chance.
“Do you have any idea how agonizing it is to watch that bright, beautiful child unravel?” Winifred’s eyes glistened. “It was hard enough losing one daughter to drugs, and a husband who had nothing to say to me even as he took his last breath.” Her voice wavered. “But to have my oldest child kill another human being in one insane moment is unbearable.”
Casey recoiled. This was the first time those words had been spoken in this house, the first time she’d seen a tear spill from Winifred.
“I devoted my life to my family.” Winifred removed a tissue from her apron pocket. “And all I got was shame and heartbreak. I don’t want Summer to turn out like them.” Her hand shook as she wiped her eyes. “Rhonda wasn’t in the proper frame of mind when she made you guardian. A judge should decide who’s best qualified to raise that child.”
Casey’s jaw clenched. “Is that a threat?”
“I’m just saying that Summer’s guardianship should be re-evaluated.”
“Rhonda would have something to say about that.”
“Rhonda’s lost her right to have a say in Summer’s upbringing, and I will not let that child become as unstable as her mother.”
“I don’t want to hear that crap, and especially not anywhere near Summer.”
Winifred looked taken aback. “How can you forget and forgive what Rhonda’s done?”
“Stop it!” Fury roiled in Casey. She had no right to throw the past in her face. “Let’s get one thing straight, you’re only in this house because I’m allowing it. I was hoping you and Summer would find a way to connect, but if you don’t start offering more support and less criticism, you’re out of here.”
Winifred plunked her hands on her hips. “No one speaks to me that way.”
“I just did.” Casey charged out of the room. By the time she reached the second floor, she was out of breath and shaking. “Summer?” She tapped on the door. “Can we talk?”
“No!” Something struck the door hard.
Casey flinched. “I’ll be upstairs if you change your mind.”
Inside her apartment, Casey leaned against the door and closed her eyes. Tears slipped between her lashes and trickled down her face. How on God’s earth was she supposed to handle this?
The whistling guinea pigs caught her attention. Casey retrieved carrots and lettuce from the fridge. While she replenished water and pellet dishes, she took deep yoga breaths to ease the tension, but it wasn’t enough.