揘o, I抦 glad you did. A lot of people around town talk to me like I抦 the walking wounded. It抯 nice for someone to just ask without smothering me in sympathy.?
揗y parents split up when I was a kid,?she explains. 揂nd then they got back together. And then they split up again. It was like they couldn抰 bring themselves to quit each other, but they couldn抰 live together either. And my dad had never wanted kids. Which was weird, because it seemed like he抎 come home and they抎 get back together just long enough for my mom to get pregnant. And then he抎 take off again.?
揇id they end up together in the end??
揘o. She died. Breast cancer.?Violet takes a drink.
揑抦 sorry.?
She nods gently. 揌e wrote her a letter when she got sick梥aid he wasn抰 coming home because he couldn抰 handle watching the love of his life wither away and die.?
揝o, he left you to watch instead.?There抯 a sharp bite to my words梑ecause Vi抯 dad is a selfish fucking prick.
She glances down at the table, smiling sadly.
揚retty much.?
揌ow old were you??
揑 was twenty when she passed away.?
揥ere you tested for the BRCA mutation??
It抯 a very personal question梑ut I just can抰 turn off the part of my brain that knows these things. That women with a family history of breast cancer before the age of fifty and those who have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a significantly higher risk of developing aggressive breast cancers.
揑 was桰抦 negative. My younger sister, Chrissy, was positive for the BRCA2 mutation. She got a double mastectomy for her twenty-secomd birthday.?
揓esus.?
揃ut she抯 good now梩here抯 a comfort in knowing what happened to my mom will never happen to her.?
揑s that why you became a nurse??I ask.
揙ne of the reasons. I mean, by the time she went on hospice, I already knew how to start a line, monitor her blood pressure, administer her meds. And even during chemo it was always the nurses who helped her the most. They really . . . ?
揗ade a difference,?I answer for her.
Because I抳e seen nurses in action梐nd that抯 what they do.
揧eah.?
揇id your dad come back to see you? After??
揘o. I haven抰 seen him since I was . . . seventeen? Like I said, he was never really into kids. I think to him we were just a side effect of loving my mom. Something he sort of had to put up with. Once she was gone, in his mind, so were we.?
I can抰 fathom it. Not any part of it. I know there are men out there like Vi抯 dad梡robably a shit-ton of them梑ut trying to relate to their way of thinking is like trying to get into the mind of a male frog who fertilizes the eggs and just hops the fuck away.
I抣l never understand it.
I put my hand over hers on the table, brushing my thumb against her skin. 揑抦 sorry, Violet.?
She lifts one shoulder. 揑t抯 okay. It was a long time ago. At least it feels that way most of the time.?
Violet looks away, staring over at the orange flame of one of the firepits. When she turns back to me, her voice is more upbeat. Cheerful.
揥ow梐m I a fun date or what? I抦 sorry to be such a downer.?
揘o梱ou抮e not.?
Her head tilts with disbelief. 揝ure, I抦 not. Abandonment, cancer, death梐ll the fun-time topics.?
I laugh, shaking my head, debating if I should tell her that she抯 the best date I抳e had in years. And it抯 not even close.
But then Tom Waits comes out of the speakers梡laying a guitar and singing in his gravelly voice about how he hopes he doesn抰 fall in love.
So instead I say, 揥e should dance. Do you want to dance??
Violet抯 eyes lift to mine.
揧eah, I do.?
揋ood.?I stand up, holding out my hand. Without hesitation, she slips hers into mine and I pull her to her feet. 揅ome on, fun buddy.?
Vi tips her head back, laughing beautifully and lighthearted and so fucking sweet it makes my chest constrict.
揑 swear, my heart stopped when Spencer said that. It was hilarious.?
揟hat抯 my kids.?I lead her toward the dance floor, still holding her hand. 揂lways a barrel of laughs.?
*
The ride back to Vi抯 house is different from our drive to the wedding. Before it was just her and me, with the music playing low on the radio, our easy conversation filling the cab, covert looks and quick stolen glances.
On the way back, it抯 her and me . . . with three teenagers jammed in the back and one ten-year-old squeezed in the front seat between us. Plus the bickering, the complaining, the almost constant changing of the radio station and blasting of the air-conditioning.
All that抯 missing is Rosie the barking dog.
Then Brayden decides to slip off his shoes and socks, stretching his legs out and resting his bare feet on the rear center console.
And all hell breaks loose.
揥hat the shit is this??Aaron yells. 揇ude, your feet reek!?
Mia covers her mouth and nose with her hand, which outrages Aaron even more.
揧ou抮e making my girlfriend nauseous梡ut your frigging shoes back on.?
揑抳e got to air the boys out,?Brayden explains while passive-aggressively wiggling his unusually long toes. 揕et 抏m breathe.?
Meanwhile, Spencer is smiling and staring at Violet in a way that抯 starting to feel Children of the Corn-ish creepy.
揇id you have fun at the wedding??he asks her.
揑 did,?she answers. 揑t was great.?
Then he dives headfirst into the sales pitch . . .
揧ou could be our babysitter, you know.?
. . . while Aaron and Brayden are threatening to kill each other in the backseat.
揗y dad doesn抰 mind spending money when it comes to us. It could be a pretty sweet deal for you. You should think about it.?
揧ou抮e not the boss of me, butt-munch! I can take my shoes off wherever I want.?
揔eep talking, wonk-donkey梩he minute we抮e home I抦 kicking the crap out of you.?
揙ooh, I抦 so scared,?Brayden says in a high-pitched, mocking voice.
Followed by the inevitable, 揙ww! Daaad桝aron stepped on my toes!?
I have zero chance with this woman.
Not that I really did before. She抯 young, gorgeous, carefree梥he has the world at her feet and could have any guy she wants by the balls. When we get to her house, Violet should run for her life in the opposite direction of wherever I am.
揟hat抯 enough!?I tell the animals in the back梟ot shouting, but close enough to shouting to get their attention and bring the arguing to an instant end.
揂aron, do not stomp on your brother梱ou抮e too damn old for that. Brayden, have some consideration for the other people in the car and put your socks and shoes back on until you get home.?
When I glance over at Vi, she抯 not looking at me with the horror I expect. She抯 watching me with something like amazement on her face. Like she抯 deeply impressed.
And then she impresses me right back.
When she tells Spencer, 揑t does sound like a sweet deal,?and she pats his knee. 揥e抣l see.?
And her delivery is almost as good as mine.
*
After I pull into Violet抯 driveway and kill the engine, she says goodbye to the boys and slides out before I have the chance to open the truck door for her. But I walk beside her up the stone path to her door, to make sure she gets in okay.
揑 had so much fun tonight,?she says softly.
揗e too.?
揟hank you for taking me. And for letting me hang out with your boys桰 can抰 remember when I had such a good time.?
揟hanks for coming with us. They had a great time too.?
And me. I had a fan-fucking-tastic time. But I keep that part silent.