Before and Ever Since (9781101612286) Read Online Free

over here to see what this crazy old woman is doing, selling your precious childhood home out from under you, but where are you when everything breaks, falls apart, leaks, or when the taxes come due? You act like I’m senile or something, like I don’t know what I’m doing.”
    She held her glass out, pointing it at Holly. “You make fun of me for my little side businesses,
selling baskets instead of candles
, but it’s those damn baskets that paid for those straight white teeth of yours, Little Miss All That. It was the scrapbooking classes and things you don’t even know about that kept the electricity on when your dad’s store went under.” Then she shifted to me and I wanted to duck. “And you. You get all uppity over me going to another real estate agent, but did it ever dawn on you that maybe I just wanted to do things my way, by myself for a change?”
    I felt like we’d just gotten grounded, like I was in that uncomfortable place of not knowing if I was supposed to answer the question or stay shut up. I waited for Holly to pipe up like she always did, claiming some type of injustice or unfair point, but she said nothing. It felt like a huge chunk of silence before she moved to the bar and set her glass down, then she plucked her purse from the floor and walked out the front door without a word. When the knocker banged against the door, I met Mom’s gaze. The fire in her blue eyes had fizzled a little. I was sure she had imagined or at least hoped it would go smoother than it did, but the element of surprise was just a little over the top.
    I walked over and picked up Holly’s glass, filling it with sweet tea from the pitcher and sitting down.
    â€œWhat do you need us to do?” I asked, realizing she was past the point of talking down. It was going to happen. I grimaced as my phone went off yet again from the same person who was e-mailing since I didn’t answer my text and clearly didn’t understand boundaries.
    â€œFor starters, turn that damn thing off.”
    â€œIt’s work.”
    â€œIt can wait five minutes. Now for here, you can start going through your stuff that’s still in your rooms,” she said, tracing a circle of condensation on the bar. “Throw out what doesn’t mean anything, keep what you want.”
    I looked at her, trying to understand this woman that had taken over my mother. “Don’t
you
want anything?”
    She shook her head. “I’ve already got boxes put away of the things I can’t live without,” she said. “It’s time for y’all to sort through what’s left.”
    â€œPut away where?” I asked. “What are you doing with all your stuff?” I gestured in a circle.
    â€œI paid for a storage unit the other day,” she said. “For the important things. Pictures and stuff.”
    I was gaping. I knew I was. Maybe it was a full moon and it had rendered ex-husbands and mothers stupid. Or the world was ending. Or . . .
    â€œAre you dying?”
    She coughed on the tea she’d just swallowed. “Holy crap, girl, I hope not. Where’d you get that?”
    I was relieved at her surprise, but it didn’t fix anything. “Well, last month you were worried about your gardenias, Mom. Planting banana peppers in the corner by the swing. Looking for Dad’s secret box. Now, you’ve got the house up for sale, getting rid of everything important to you, hitting the road with crazy Aunt Bernie—are you bringing Tandy with you?”
    She chuckled. “Of course.” She leaned forward as the dog put her front feet up on Mom’s leg. “Like I’d leave my baby girl behind.” She looked up at me. “Scared I’d leave her with you?”
    â€œShe doesn’t like me, Mom, it wouldn’t be pretty. Actually she doesn’t like anybody but you and Cass.”
    â€œOh, she likes you just