Part 19 (1/2)
”Faith...” He set her down.
”Yeah, I know,” she sighed. In the week that Margot had been home, though things between them had smoothed out again, they hadn't been able to sleep together for a whole night. She stayed here, and Michael stayed with his son at Hoosier and Bibi's. They were back to stolen moments. ”It's like it was before.”
He frowned. ”No, it's not. There's nothing wrong about us now. Things are just inconvenient.”
”You're right. Sorry. My mom likes Tucker, though. And she has no idea who you are. Maybe it would work here for all of us.” Margot had been mostly quiet and pleasant since she'd been home. Like a barely-acquainted houseguest who was trying hard not to make too much of a ripple in the residents' lives. Faith felt guilty for enjoying it so much, but it was peaceful.
And she didn't feel too guilty, because twice during the week, the Margot Faith knew had reared up and said something b.i.t.c.hy or just plain nasty. There was a voice in Faith's head that was suggesting that what was happening to her mother was karma.
But what did that mean for what was going on with Faith herself? Every good seemed balanced by a bad, or at least a complication.
”Let me focus on getting Tucker. If that happens, then we can figure out how we're all together. If Tucker's safe here, and your mom isn't gunning for me, then yeah. I think we can make that work.”
She hugged him, feeling her own karmic scale tip toward the good, at least for now. ”You want a sandwich? I'm going to check on everything inside.” Not that her supervision was needed inside. Jose and Bibi were both in there with Margot and Tucker.
”Sure. Any more of that sweet tea Bibi made?”
She yanked on his kutte until he dipped his head so she could kiss his cheek. ”I'll check. Hey guys,” she called to the Prospects. ”Sandwiches?”
”Yes, ma'am!” they called.
'Ma'am,' Faith thought. Wasn't that a hoot. Smiling, she headed into the house.
Once inside, she could hear Bibi and her mother arguing-she heard the tone but not the words themselves. Jose was in the kitchen, looking like he wasn't sure what to do. She went into the living room. Bibi stood next to Margot's chair, holding Tucker, who was quiet but looked like he was headed toward upset.
The eyes her mother turned on her were full of recognition-and anger and accusation, too.
”What's going on?” Faith asked.
”How did you do it?”
”What?” Faith knew something was really wrong-she could see the turmoil on Bibi's face-but she was clueless.
”Don't play the stupid gash with me. How did you get away with it? I was right there! How?”
”Margot, I don't-”
”Don't you call me by my name. I am your mother, and you will treat me with some f.u.c.king respect.”
”Bibi?” Faith needed help.
”I'm sorry, baby.” Bibi turned to Margot. ”Margot, sweetheart, you got this all wrong.”
”Shut it, Bibi.” Margot turned back to Faith, her eyes searing with anger. ”I told you to get rid of it. I stood there and watched. I made sure! How the f.u.c.k did you do it?”
A cowl of sick sorrow fell over Faith's shoulders as she understood what had Margot so upset. ”Bibi, get him out of here. He doesn't need to hear all this.”
Bibi nodded and carried Tucker toward the kitchen, pausing to squeeze Faith's hand. ”I'm so sorry. She was playing with him, and then it all changed.”
Tucker reached for Faith, leaning out of Bibi's arms. ”Fay!”
She kissed his pudgy hand. ”Go with Granny, buddy.”
When they were clear of the room, Faith turned to her mother. ”Tucker's not mine, Mom.”
Margot laughed her contempt. ”You lying little wh.o.r.e. I can see it. He looks just like his father.”
Yeah, he did. But that didn't make him hers. ”He's Michael's, but he's not mine. You did make me get rid of mine.”
”You must really think I'm an idiot. You think I can't see?” Margot brushed her hair back in the way she always had when she thought she'd won something. ”Fine, then. Your father will take care of the problem his way, then. You made your choice.”
Faith had to make Michael go away before he came into the house and found this Margot. Struggling to keep memory at bay before it pulled her under completely and drowned her, she turned and headed back to the garage.
memory Sitting on the bathroom floor, Faith pulled a length of toilet paper off the roll and blew her nose, then dropped the paper into the bowl and flushed. Not feeling ready to stand yet, she rested her forehead on the cool porcelain of the tub.
The door burst open, and her mother stood in the doorway. She tossed a box into the room. It landed on the floor and slid until it stopped against Faith's knee. Faith didn't have to look to know what it was.
”Take them both. While I stand here.”
”Go away, Mom. I'm sick. I have the flu.” She knew it wasn't the flu. But the past three weeks had been just f.u.c.king horrible, and she could not deal with her mother's drama on top of it all. They'd been keeping her a prisoner, not letting her out of the house at all. They'd somehow arranged with the school to put her on independent study, like she was terminally ill or something.
Her father had said he had no intention of letting her out of the house again.
Faith pretty much didn't care about anything anymore.
”Bulls.h.i.+t. Take the G.o.dd.a.m.n tests.”
”I just peed. I don't have to go now.”
Her mother came all the way into the room and filled the gla.s.s on the counter with tap water. ”Then drink this, because neither of us is going anywhere until you take those f.u.c.king tests.”
She drank, and puked again, and drank some more, and they waited, and then she peed. And peed again.
Her mother s.n.a.t.c.hed the sticks out of her hand before the results were in. She stared at the sticks, and Faith stared at the floor.
”You stupid, stupid, stupid little s.l.u.t!” Margot threw one of the sticks at her. ”Look at that! What have you done?” She threw the other. Faith didn't bother to look; her mother was all the result she needed to see.
Then Margot stormed over to her and grabbed her arm. ”Get up! Get up! We're going to see your father!”
Faith got up but pulled her arm away. ”No, I'm not. Leave me the f.u.c.k alone!”
Margot slapped her across the face. Hard. And then again. Faith was too shocked to protect herself. For all her mother's faults, she'd never before hit her. The third one was a punch that knocked Faith back onto her a.s.s. And then Margot kicked her in the stomach. The angle was odd, and she didn't connect with much force, but it was still horrible.
”Mom! Stop!” Faith cried out and curled into a ball.
Margot's voice shook when she spoke again. ”Get up or I'll do worse. We're going to your father right now.”