Read The War of the Roses: The Children for Free Online

copper pots as well as her extensive library of recipes, most of which Evie had replicated, devoured, and prepared for countless others.
    Victoria and Josh’s earlier visits to Evie’s home had always included rich gourmet delicacies in the form of cassolettes, pâtés, galantines, and helpings of exotic breads, fine expensive wines, and mega-caloried desserts. Evie was particularly proud that she had preserved their mother’s old apron, on which was emblazoned the word “Hausfrau.”
    Since she was rarely without a live-in lover, the children had been introduced to a long series of “uncles,” which eventually spawned confusion and questions requiring oblique answers. Josh, loving his sister as he did, was far more tolerant of this lifestyle, relieved that Evie had someone to share her life, fill her considerable needs, and assuage her loneliness.
    Eventually, the children developed a healthy curiosity about Evie’s many male friends, and Victoria and Josh’s explanations became increasingly less believable. How many interchangeable uncles could there be? Besides, Victoria had also come down with a galloping case of digestive rebellion and had begun to lobby for fewer family exchanges.
    While not happy about the growing estrangement, both Josh and Evie understood Victoria’s attitude and did not make it an issue between them. This did not mean that there wasn’t occasional tension between Josh and Victoria on the subject of Evie, but it never reached a level of confrontation that could not be resolved by either talk or deliberate avoidance.
    Josh had never ceased to marvel about how differently their parents’ terminal behavior had affected Evie and himself.
    Although he had learned a great deal about food and its preparation from his mother, he took no obsessive pleasure in its ingestion. That, too, he could trace to the traumatic effects of the terrible war between his parents. Although he had not been present, he had heard about the pâté that his mother had made out of the hapless Benny, his father’s adored pooch. Although Josh had long forgiven her this particular excess, it had left its scars. Pets, in every form, were barred from his household, and eating for him was more a ritual of survival than an exercise in sensual pleasure.
    For Evie, the reaction to this seminal event in their lives had been completely counter to his own. Aside from her passion for food, Evie shared her apartment with a Siamese cat named Tweedledee, sparing no expense to keep her well groomed, and, like her mistress, overnourished.
    With deep regret, Josh had seen many of their parents’ antiques fall to the auction hammer. Items such as the carved nineteenth century armoire, the rent table, the leather Chesterfield, the Hepplewhite secretaire, the jappaned commode, and the elaborate crystal glassware were disposed of one by one to keep Evie financially afloat.
    Miraculously, the much worn Sarouk blue-and-red Persian rug had escaped the auction block, although, owing to its condition, its present value was suspect.
    She had also managed to hold on to the high Chippendale bed, which had for years taken her weight with or without lovers, although Josh knew that the day would soon come when even that would go. Indeed, he half expected that that would be one of the pressing subjects of her urgent visit to the coffee shop and he was right.
    â€œNot the bed,” Josh had exclaimed. “Oh, Evie. That too?”
    â€œIt’s no tragedy, Josh. I had the use of it for nearly twenty years.” She laughed, her chins vibrating. “Very good use.”
    â€œYou really don’t need my approval, Evie. It’s yours.”
    â€œNot really, Josh,” she said pleasantly offering him a jelly doughnut. He shook his head. Shrugging, she took one of them in her pudgy fingers, lifted it, and took a dainty but generous bite. “It’s part of our