She shut the computer down and tried to watch TV. Nothing interested her.
The sound of “Wipe Out” on her cell phone made her jump. “Ruthie?”
She sounded…happy. “Hi, Gee. How’s the road tripping?”
“What’s going on?”
Ruthie laughed. “I know, I sound normal, don’t I? Guess what I did today?”
“You finally killed Bob?”
Ruthie laughed again. “No! I took my first driving lesson.”
She sat up. “Your first what?”
“Driving lesson! My brother signed me up, said I should go take them even though I still have my license, to get used to driving again.”
“That’s…that’s fantastic!”
“You want to know what’s even better?”
“Bob fell in a woodchipper?”
Ruthie’s laughed sounded almost alien to Gwen’s ears. How many years since she’d heard her friend genuinely laugh like that? “Not quite. My instructor asked me out on a date.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He’s nice, too. Divorced, two kids. He gets along with his ex okay, they got married young and grew apart.”
“Holy crap, Ruthie, that’s fantastic!”
“I know, it’s a sign.” She went quiet for a minute. “I also wanted to tell you thank you.”
“For what?”
“Bob finally admitted what he did with Amy. What’s going on with them. He said you saw them at the doctor’s and that you and Liam pretty much disowned her.”
Gwen closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was afraid to, but dammit, I couldn’t stay there and look at her knowing what she’d done with him. I’m so sorry.”
“No, I know. It’s okay. I understand. But thank you for not abandoning me.”
Guilt pierced her. “Um, I’m halfway across the country, honey, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, but we talk all the time like we always did, so that’s okay. And you let me rent your house. I can’t thank you enough for this. I mean it.”
“You handling things okay?”
“Yeah. Bob refinanced the house and paid me my half of the equity to buy me out, and he’s buying me a car. He agreed to alimony for ten years unless I get a job paying more, and he’ll pay my health insurance and my deductibles.” She hesitated. “Amy moved in with him last week. They found out they’re having a girl.”
“I bet my parents are going batshit.”
“Not too bad. Your mom’s adopted me.”
Gwen grimaced. “Oh, Ruthie, I’m so sorry.”
Ruthie roared with laughter. “No, it’s okay, really. She’s over here all the time, and she takes me shopping when I need something. Your dad comes over and helps me with the yard and stuff. It’s okay.” Another pause. “She asked me today how you guys were doing, if I’d heard from you lately.”
“She could call. You said you gave her my new number.” Gwen had changed her cell number after two more drunk-dialing calls from Dickweed.
“I think she’s afraid to.”
Another pang of guilt. “Never stopped her before.”
“Maybe you should call her. I know, I know, but do it. It’d make her feel better to hear from you and Liam.”
“Better not call tonight then.”
“Why not?” Gwen explained Liam was out on a date. Ruthie laughed. “Oh. Um, yeah, maybe leave that part out. I think she still hopes he’ll meet a nice girl and settle down.”
“Lucky bastard. The guy’s cute, too.”
“Ah.” Another pause. Gwen began to dread those. “You should call your mom. Seriously. She misses you. I think she understands now. She didn’t see before. She went from having three kids to basically none. Amy won’t talk to them, and your father’s disowned her. Which has left your mom out in the cold because she’s afraid to stand up to your father. I think she wishes they’d handled things differently all the way around. Oh! She actually read your latest book.”
Gwen’s mind raced. She had two come out in the past month, one of them extremely graphic and erotic. “Which one?”
“The tame one, the Gwen one. The mystery.”
“Whew. Oh.” She didn’t know if she wanted to ask. “And?”
“She really loved it. She asked if I had some of your others she could read. Tame ones. I went through your books and loaned a couple to her.”
Gwen hated the hope she felt. That had gotten her hurt before, by unrealistically expecting emotional support from her parents. She knew they loved her, but it would have been nice to have their blessings about something for a change. “Maybe I’ll call her.”
“I would. It’ll make her feel better.”
Gwen hung up and stared at the phone. After several aborted attempts, she finally bit the bullet, pulled up their number, and hit send.
Her mom answered on the third ring. “Gwen?” Her voice sounded soft, like she was trying not to let her dad hear.
“Hi, Mom. I just talked to Ruthie.”
Her mom’s voice dropped even more, like she didn’t want her father to overhear. “How are you doing, sweetheart? How’s Liam?”
“We’re fine. He’s fine. He’s…out at dinner with a friend tonight.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Um, no. Just a friend. Just dinner.” And hot man boinking. “How are you and Dad?”
She suspected her mom had closed herself in her bedroom or one of the other rooms, because her voice sounded a little more normal. “Good. He’s fine, he’s watching TV in the living room.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry things were left that way between us.”
Gwen fought back her tears. “It’s okay. Liam and I needed this. I couldn’t stay there and watch Amy and Bob together. I just couldn’t.”
“Ruthie really is a sweetheart. I understand why you were so close all these years.” Her mom laughed. “She’s putting up with me. I’m trying not to hover, but she’s such a sweetheart. I really enjoy spending time with her, and it gets me out of the house.” Another pause. “Will you and Liam make it home for Christmas?”
She and Liam had enjoyed their first drama-free, guilt-free Thanksgiving a week earlier. Their first Thanksgiving without their parents and older sister. Not to mention they now considered their RV “home.”
“I don’t think so, Mom. Not this year. We’re going to string lights on the RV and sit on the beach.” She needed to say this and get it off her chest. “We love you guys, we really do. Let’s let things settle a few more months with Dad and Amy. Liam and I aren’t ready to deal with her or him yet. We’re okay. Really.”
“How’s his health…” And there they went. Gwen noticed unlike in the past, where her mom might have railed about what he was doing, she listened to what Gwen said.
Actually listened.
Even more importantly, she didn’t gripe or complain or make suggestions. “I’m glad he’s doing so well. I worried all the driving might be bad for him. Sitting for all that time.”
“No, he can get up and walk around. We’re not on the road all that much. We’re parked more than anything. He loves the beach.”
Her mom’s next statement shocked her. “Ruthie helped me set up my own e-mail account. Can you e-mail me pictures and letters?”
Her mom growing a spine? Her father had always discouraged their mom from using a computer because he didn’t like them and didn’t see a valuable use for e-mail when they had a phone. “Of course! I’ve got some I can e-mail you right now.”
“It’s not a big computer, it’s just a little laptop Ruthie had. I think she said this one was Liam’s old one. She made Bob buy her a brand-new one and gave met this one. I’ve got it set up in Liam’s old room.”