揙f course it is.?Risa managed a smile, but all the while she was regretting that her girls had to have two ultra-strict, overly religious grandmothers. They should be allowed to explore their own personalities.
Don抰 be so tough on yourself, the voice in her head scolded. Growing up in the shadow of Stella, then marrying right into another family that was just as bad, you didn抰 have much of a role model for raising daughters, but you抮e on the right track now.
Mary Nell was sound asleep when her cell phone rang that morning. She groaned, rolled over, and grumbled, 揟wice in one morning when this is the only day that I get to sleep in.?
揟his had better be a life-and-death situation,?she said as she hit the 揂nswer?button without even looking to see who was calling.
揑t is,?her father said. 揧ou抳e got one hour to crawl out of that bed, get dressed, grab a bite of breakfast, and go with me to church so we can support Risa and those two sweet girls of hers. If you had married Danny right out of high school, I could have granddaughters their age to help.?
揙kay, Daddy.?Mary Nell brushed her red hair out of her face and sat up in bed. 揑 can抰 go back and undo what I did or didn抰 do, but isn抰 it nice that Risa is willing to share her girls with us? I would love a cup of hot tea after I抦 out of the shower and dressed. I can抰 believe you are going to church. You haven抰 been since Mama passed away.?
揗e and Wade are both mad at God for taking our loved ones away from us and leaving Stella Sullivan on the earth, but I抦 not about to let those precious girls face off with that old witch without some backup today,?Oscar said. 揑抣l put the teakettle on for your tea. Don抰 waste time primpin? You抮e beautiful just the way you are.?
揟hanks, Daddy,?Mary Nell said and ended the call.
She stood under the hot shower as long as she dared and thought about what her father had said. Even though she hated to admit it, he was right. If she hadn抰 let Kevin sweet-talk her into leaving college and moving to Nashville with him, she might have had a family by now. Just thinking those thoughts set her biological clock to ticking so loudly that she put her hands over her ears.
揌ush桰 know how old I am and that I抦 looking menopause in the eye.?She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She padded back to her room, shot the clock beside her bed a dirty look, got dressed in a sleeveless pale-blue dress, and twisted her curly hair up into a messy bun.
揥ell, well, look at you all dolled up.?Oscar smiled from the kitchen chair where he was reading the Sunday paper and having what was probably his fourth or fifth cup of coffee.
揑t抯 a sacrifice, but I抎 do anything for Risa,?Mary Nell said.
Oscar laid the paper aside. 揧our tea has been steeping for five minutes.?
揟hen it should be just right.?Mary Nell removed the tea towel from the top of the cup and tossed the tea bag into the trash. 揑抳e got a confession, Daddy. I抳e been mad at God for taking Mama from us, just like you. And mad at myself for being so far away that I couldn抰 spend more time with her there at the end. This will be the first time I抣l have been in church since she died, too.?
揑 understand.?Oscar picked his newspaper back up and folded it neatly. 揥e needed someone to blame, and God is a good candidate, but maybe it抯 time for all of us to realize that maybe God needed your mama in heaven.?
揌e couldn抰 need her more than we do.?Mary Nell sat down across from him at the table and pushed the paper over to one side. 揧ou do know you can read the paper online these days??
揧ep, but I can抰 put a computer under a project when I抦 painting like I can a newspaper or put my boots on a computer when I polish them,?he said with a grin.
揧ou got a point there.?Mary Nell抯 earliest memory was watching her dad polish his work boots. She closed her eyes and could see the boots sitting on the newspaper and could almost smell the black polish that he used every night. From that her mind went to the last fight she had involving Kevin. He had gotten furious because she didn抰 have his cowboy boots polished and ready for him to wear when he went to sign the contract for a record deal. He had told her that he damn sure didn抰 need her in his life anymore, and she could pack up and be gone when he got back.
揑 pay the rent and bills on this place,?she had told him. 揥hat you bring in doesn抰 even support all the demos that you are constantly making.?
揥ith my signing bonus, I don抰 need you anymore. This apartment is in my name, anyway, and I抣l be moving to something bigger and better than this dump,?he抎 yelled as he shoved his feet down into his unpolished boots.
揧ou can have your apartment,?she said through tears that she refused to let fall. 揟he rent is paid until the first of this month. I抦 tired of you and of doing the work so you can chase the glory. I抦 going home to Texas. Don抰 write, don抰 call, and don抰 even think about following me when your so-called career winds up in the toilet.?