and I'm supposed to be in a studio recording right now."
"And I'm supposed to be at home putting supper on the table for my family, but I've been off running down twenty-five potted violets for the tables at a wedding reception, and taste-testing Florentine chicken at a caterer's and trying to find anyone with a white horse-drawn carriage because Rachel
insists
they're going to arrive at the church in a carriage, and the only ones I can find in the whole country are black and look like they hauled Robert E. Lee through the battlefront."
"Do you know that I had to cancel seven appearances because of this?"
"What do you think we had to cancel the last time Momma had surgery?"
They were no longer hugging but leaning back taking each other's measure.
"But it's easier for you," Tess reasoned. "You live here."
"Try that argument on Judy and see how far it gets you."
"Judy. Ha! I won't have too much to say to Judy after the way she talked to me on the phone."
"She's disgusted with you, too. Has been for the last ten years because you never come home."
"What do you mean, I never come home? I come home!"
"Sure. Once a year or so when your schedule permits. Honey-pie, families deserve more than that."
"But you don't understand."
"Sure we do. You've got your priorities."
"Renee-ay!"
"Te-ess," her sister aped in the same singsong.
"I expected this out of Judy, but not out of you."
Renee said simply, "It's your turn, Tess, and you know it."
They were at a stalemate. Tess returned to the sink, pulled the plug and let the water drain. She squeezed out the dishcloth and swiped it over the faucets, then turned and gestured toward the bathroom, whispering, "She's gonna drive me nuts!"
Renee, too, kept her voice lowered. "It's only for four weeks, then I can help her once the wedding's over."
"But I don't live like this anymore… eating pecan pie and washing dishes by hand, for heaven's sake."
"For the next four weeks you do."
"She just doesn't understand, I have to keep in shape. It's part of my public image, and I can't go eating Tater Tot hot dish and pecan pie with whipped cream!"
Renee held Tess in place by her rolled-up T-shirt sleeves, looking straight into her amber eyes. "She's your mother. She loves you. It's how she shows it." She dropped her hands. "And how in the world would she know what you eat anymore? You're never around."
Apparently this was going to be a repeated refrain during Tess's time back home; she had difficulty stifling a retort, for none of her family had the vaguest idea of the immensity of the commitments she made and how many people were affected by them. They all thought she was merely caught up in fame, and that whenever she picked up a telephone or received an overnight package she was grandstanding. Any protestations to the contrary would fall on deaf ears.
"Is she in bed already?" Renee asked.
"No, she's taking a bath."
"Well, I'll go tap on her door and say hi and good-bye. I gotta get home. Just wanted to stop by and see if you got here okay."
Renee went through the living room into a small hall alcove where she tapped on the bathroom door with her car key.
"Momma? Hi, it's Renee, but I can't stay. Everything go okay today at your pre-op?"
"Just fine. Can't you wait till I get out?"
"Sorry, gotta get home and feed my family, but I'll be there in the morning before they wheel you in, okay?"
"Okay, dear. Thanks for stopping by."
"Anything you need?"
"Nothing I can think of. But if there is, Tess can get it for me, and Kenny offered, too."
"Okay, then, see you in the morning."
When Renee came back through the living room Tess was there with her hands in the pockets of her jeans and one shoulder propped against the kitchen archway.
"Kenny again," Tess said with a look of distaste that Renee missed.
"Thank heavens for Kenny. He treats her as if she's his own mother. We should all be plenty grateful to him. Well, listen… gotta run." Renee pecked Tess on the cheek. "See you
"And I'm supposed to be at home putting supper on the table for my family, but I've been off running down twenty-five potted violets for the tables at a wedding reception, and taste-testing Florentine chicken at a caterer's and trying to find anyone with a white horse-drawn carriage because Rachel
insists
they're going to arrive at the church in a carriage, and the only ones I can find in the whole country are black and look like they hauled Robert E. Lee through the battlefront."
"Do you know that I had to cancel seven appearances because of this?"
"What do you think we had to cancel the last time Momma had surgery?"
They were no longer hugging but leaning back taking each other's measure.
"But it's easier for you," Tess reasoned. "You live here."
"Try that argument on Judy and see how far it gets you."
"Judy. Ha! I won't have too much to say to Judy after the way she talked to me on the phone."
"She's disgusted with you, too. Has been for the last ten years because you never come home."
"What do you mean, I never come home? I come home!"
"Sure. Once a year or so when your schedule permits. Honey-pie, families deserve more than that."
"But you don't understand."
"Sure we do. You've got your priorities."
"Renee-ay!"
"Te-ess," her sister aped in the same singsong.
"I expected this out of Judy, but not out of you."
Renee said simply, "It's your turn, Tess, and you know it."
They were at a stalemate. Tess returned to the sink, pulled the plug and let the water drain. She squeezed out the dishcloth and swiped it over the faucets, then turned and gestured toward the bathroom, whispering, "She's gonna drive me nuts!"
Renee, too, kept her voice lowered. "It's only for four weeks, then I can help her once the wedding's over."
"But I don't live like this anymore… eating pecan pie and washing dishes by hand, for heaven's sake."
"For the next four weeks you do."
"She just doesn't understand, I have to keep in shape. It's part of my public image, and I can't go eating Tater Tot hot dish and pecan pie with whipped cream!"
Renee held Tess in place by her rolled-up T-shirt sleeves, looking straight into her amber eyes. "She's your mother. She loves you. It's how she shows it." She dropped her hands. "And how in the world would she know what you eat anymore? You're never around."
Apparently this was going to be a repeated refrain during Tess's time back home; she had difficulty stifling a retort, for none of her family had the vaguest idea of the immensity of the commitments she made and how many people were affected by them. They all thought she was merely caught up in fame, and that whenever she picked up a telephone or received an overnight package she was grandstanding. Any protestations to the contrary would fall on deaf ears.
"Is she in bed already?" Renee asked.
"No, she's taking a bath."
"Well, I'll go tap on her door and say hi and good-bye. I gotta get home. Just wanted to stop by and see if you got here okay."
Renee went through the living room into a small hall alcove where she tapped on the bathroom door with her car key.
"Momma? Hi, it's Renee, but I can't stay. Everything go okay today at your pre-op?"
"Just fine. Can't you wait till I get out?"
"Sorry, gotta get home and feed my family, but I'll be there in the morning before they wheel you in, okay?"
"Okay, dear. Thanks for stopping by."
"Anything you need?"
"Nothing I can think of. But if there is, Tess can get it for me, and Kenny offered, too."
"Okay, then, see you in the morning."
When Renee came back through the living room Tess was there with her hands in the pockets of her jeans and one shoulder propped against the kitchen archway.
"Kenny again," Tess said with a look of distaste that Renee missed.
"Thank heavens for Kenny. He treats her as if she's his own mother. We should all be plenty grateful to him. Well, listen… gotta run." Renee pecked Tess on the cheek. "See you
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