Audre & Bash Are Just Friends(24)

His last text had been running through her mind all day. An open mind. They were following Reshma’s list, right? Or was he planning to go rogue? Should she be scared? What was she gonna wear? Should her look be Casual Downtown Girl or Coquette Core? Why did she care? Should she pack mace?

Her brain was absolutely scrambled. So much so that when she stepped into the apartment and accidentally stomped on Baby Alice’s squeaky teething giraffe toy, she screamed in surprise. In response, Sophie let out a sad, flattened sound into the darkness.

It was around 6 PM. The Exorcist, her mom’s comfort movie, was streaming on the living room TV. Audre heard a faint rustle coming from Eva and Shane’s bedroom. Then a loud, annoyed sigh. Finally, her mom emerged, wearing a tee and Shane’s sweatpants, rolled at the waist. Tortoiseshell frames almost masked the dark circles under her eyes. She looked both blissed out and bone-tired. Ever since the baby was born, her personality was split into those two halves: lovestruck and sleepy as hell.

Also, sprouting from the top of her head was a floor-sweeping, Italian lace veil.

“Your grandmother’s gonna be the death of me, Audre, I swear,” she said, storming into the kitchen and grabbing a La Croix from the fridge. The veil trailed dramatically behind her. Standing at the island, she tilted her head back and downed the entire thing. Then she slammed the empty can on the counter. And, in response, grabbed her temples.

“Excuse me, why are you wearing your veil?” asked Audre, curling up on her bed, aka the couch.

“Grandma Lizette wanted to see it. So, I took a pic and sent it to her.” Eva shook her head, a rueful smirk on her face.

“Uh-oh. What’d she say?”

“About the veil? Oh, nothing. But she did tell me I needed a facial.”

Such savagery was on-brand for Grandma Lizette. Audre’s grandma lived in Houston and was terrified of flying—and they were always busy with school and work—so she barely ever saw her. But they all FaceTimed on holidays and birthdays.

Audre couldn’t help but adore Grandma Lizette. After all, Eva’s stories about growing up with her were divine. Lizette was a beautiful, talented unicorn brimming with power. She’d won a trillion titles in the notoriously racist, misogynist pageant industry and, with a tenth-grade education, she had launched a successful modeling career. And had traveled the world with Baby Eva. And had found the resources to send Eva to Princeton. These days, when most women her age were retired, Grandma Lizette ran an elite pageant training academy in Texas.

She was a superhero. The definition of “Mercy girls do what can’t be done.”

“The facial thing is harsh,” admitted Audre, who always jumped to her grandmother’s defense. “But she was a pageant queen, so she’s naturally beauty-focused.”

“That’s a long-winded way to say she’s vain.” Eva joined Audre on the couch—and then attempted to hug her. Stiffly, Audre leaned in with her shoulder. It was weird—they used to hug all the time. But lately, every attempt felt so stilted. Both feeling awkward, they pulled away and sat side by side. With their faraway expressions and one leg tucked under the other, they were mirrors of each other.

After a lengthy yawn, Eva said, “Thank God my book’s almost done and I can sleep without stressing out.”

“How are your edits going?”

And then, an odd shadow seemed to pass over Eva’s face. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, her expression went dark. “It’s fine. Revisiting certain parts is hard.”

“Which parts?”

“My childhood. Going back in time can be tricky. And, um, draining.” She was choosing her words extra carefully.

“What happened…”

Eva cut her off. “I know you want to ask me a million questions right now. But I’m exhausted. I promise I’ll fill you in before the book comes out later this fall, okay?”

Her mom was right. Audre did want to ask questions. What was it like growing up with Lizette? Who was Eva’s childhood best friend? When she met Shane in twelfth grade, did she know immediately that he was her true love? Her mom talked about the past in unemotional, vague terms. Lizette did what she had to do for us to survive. We lived all over. I was in pain every day as a kid, but I was used to it. Mercy girls do what can’t be done.

Eva’s history was Audre’s history, too. So was Lizette’s and Great-Grandma Clothilde’s, and Great-Great-Grandma Delphine’s. She couldn’t help but be curious. Judging from Eva’s stiff posture and rigid shoulders, Audre could tell her mom was stressed. So, she let it go. Plus, Audre had her own shit to deal with.

“… Shane missed his book deadline and couldn’t care less. He just left for his mentorship class with Baby Alice.” Twice a week, Shane led a support group for Black teen boys. He loved it almost as much as cooking aggressively healthy meals. “Imagine being so unbothered! So, where were you all day?”

“Nowhere. Reading in the park.” Audre rested her foot on a pile of carpet swatches. “These swatches have been here for months, Mom. Is the contractor ever gonna finish this renovation? We can’t keep living like this. Isn’t it driving you crazy?”

“Of course it’s driving me crazy.” Distractedly, Eva ran her fingers along the delicate lace of her veil. “Everything is chaotic in our lives right now. But I take it as it comes.”