that blew through the heater seemed colder than that outside the car.
What time is it?" she asked.
Half-past six. Dinner's on the table and getting cold. That mother of yours is tearing her hair out."
"And so they sent you out looking for me. Sorry to cause so much trouble. Let's go then," Joanna said, but Jim Bob Brady refused to budge.
You're still not sleeping so good, are you?" he said accusingly.
Joanna yawned and stretched. She was stiff with cold. "Only when I'm not supposed to," she returned with a disparaging smile. "I have a hard time closing my eyes and keeping them shut when I m in bed at night, but I've spent a whole hour sitting out here in a freezing car, sleeping like a baby. Helen Barco's neighbors must think I've lost my mind."
"Helen Barco's neighbors are too damn nosy," Jim Bob Brady muttered under his breath, finally letting loose of the window and returning to his own vehicle.
Eleanor Lathrop met them at the front door of the Bradys' duplex apartment on Oliver Circle.
"Where in the world have you been?" she demanded. "I tried calling Helen, but she was already closed. All I got was her answering machine."
"I'm sorry," Joanna said. "I fell asleep. In the car."
"In the car!" Eleanor echoed. "In this weather? And with dinner already on the table!"
Eva Lou Brady brushed aside the controversy. "Don't worry about it, Eleanor. No harm's done. Go wash up, Joanna. And see if you can drag Jenny away from that TV set long enough to come eat. It won't take but a minute to warm all this back up in the microwave."
The dinner was vintage Eva Lou Brady, what her husband called "old-fashioned comfort food"-meat loaf, mashed potatoes, canned-from the-garden green beans, cherry Jell-o with bananas, and homemade pumpkin pie for dessert. Jim Bob and Eva Lou were still dealing with Andy's death. Still grieving over their lost son but helping with Joanna's survival seemed to give purpose to the elder Bradys' lives. Joanna was only too grateful for their unwavering support.
Her own mother was another matter entirely.
While Eleanor sniffed disdainfully and picked at her food, Joanna ate with far more relish than she would have thought possible. Eating food Eleanor disapproved of was one way of continuing the Lathrop family mother/daughter grudge match that had been years in the making. Although hostilities between them boasted occasional periods of relative truce, none of those had ever blossomed into a lasting peace.
"I thought you were going to wear your winter gray," Eleanor said, holding tight to her fork while a piece of Jell-O quivered delicately on the tines.
"It had a spot on it," Joanna lied. She turned to her father-in-law. "Any word on the turnout?" she asked, daring at last to make some direct reference to the election.
"Better'n anybody figured," he replied. "It's turned into a real horse race."
Jennifer made a face. "Can't we talk about something else?"
Why don't you want to talk about the election, Jenn honey?" Eva Brady asked mildly. "Don't you want your mama to win?"
"No!" And there it was. The dining room grew quiet while Jennifer's blurted answer hung in the air like a dispirited balloon.
"That can't be true, Jenny," Jim Bob Brady said.
"Of course you want her to win. She's doing it for all of us-because we need her. She's doing it for you."
Jennifer's eyes flashed with defiance. "She is not She's doing it for her."
With that, Jennifer flung her crushed paper nap kin into her plate, shoved her chair into the wall behind her, and crashed from the table. "What in the world was that all about?" Eleanor Lathrop demanded. "Whatever's gotten into her?"
Joanna carefully folded her own napkin. "I'd better go talk to her," she said.
Jennifer had slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. Joanna knocked and waited.
"Come in," Jenny said finally, reluctantly.
Her grandparents had furnished the extra bed room with Jenny specifically in mind, making it a home-away-from-home; a place where she was
What time is it?" she asked.
Half-past six. Dinner's on the table and getting cold. That mother of yours is tearing her hair out."
"And so they sent you out looking for me. Sorry to cause so much trouble. Let's go then," Joanna said, but Jim Bob Brady refused to budge.
You're still not sleeping so good, are you?" he said accusingly.
Joanna yawned and stretched. She was stiff with cold. "Only when I'm not supposed to," she returned with a disparaging smile. "I have a hard time closing my eyes and keeping them shut when I m in bed at night, but I've spent a whole hour sitting out here in a freezing car, sleeping like a baby. Helen Barco's neighbors must think I've lost my mind."
"Helen Barco's neighbors are too damn nosy," Jim Bob Brady muttered under his breath, finally letting loose of the window and returning to his own vehicle.
Eleanor Lathrop met them at the front door of the Bradys' duplex apartment on Oliver Circle.
"Where in the world have you been?" she demanded. "I tried calling Helen, but she was already closed. All I got was her answering machine."
"I'm sorry," Joanna said. "I fell asleep. In the car."
"In the car!" Eleanor echoed. "In this weather? And with dinner already on the table!"
Eva Lou Brady brushed aside the controversy. "Don't worry about it, Eleanor. No harm's done. Go wash up, Joanna. And see if you can drag Jenny away from that TV set long enough to come eat. It won't take but a minute to warm all this back up in the microwave."
The dinner was vintage Eva Lou Brady, what her husband called "old-fashioned comfort food"-meat loaf, mashed potatoes, canned-from the-garden green beans, cherry Jell-o with bananas, and homemade pumpkin pie for dessert. Jim Bob and Eva Lou were still dealing with Andy's death. Still grieving over their lost son but helping with Joanna's survival seemed to give purpose to the elder Bradys' lives. Joanna was only too grateful for their unwavering support.
Her own mother was another matter entirely.
While Eleanor sniffed disdainfully and picked at her food, Joanna ate with far more relish than she would have thought possible. Eating food Eleanor disapproved of was one way of continuing the Lathrop family mother/daughter grudge match that had been years in the making. Although hostilities between them boasted occasional periods of relative truce, none of those had ever blossomed into a lasting peace.
"I thought you were going to wear your winter gray," Eleanor said, holding tight to her fork while a piece of Jell-O quivered delicately on the tines.
"It had a spot on it," Joanna lied. She turned to her father-in-law. "Any word on the turnout?" she asked, daring at last to make some direct reference to the election.
"Better'n anybody figured," he replied. "It's turned into a real horse race."
Jennifer made a face. "Can't we talk about something else?"
Why don't you want to talk about the election, Jenn honey?" Eva Brady asked mildly. "Don't you want your mama to win?"
"No!" And there it was. The dining room grew quiet while Jennifer's blurted answer hung in the air like a dispirited balloon.
"That can't be true, Jenny," Jim Bob Brady said.
"Of course you want her to win. She's doing it for all of us-because we need her. She's doing it for you."
Jennifer's eyes flashed with defiance. "She is not She's doing it for her."
With that, Jennifer flung her crushed paper nap kin into her plate, shoved her chair into the wall behind her, and crashed from the table. "What in the world was that all about?" Eleanor Lathrop demanded. "Whatever's gotten into her?"
Joanna carefully folded her own napkin. "I'd better go talk to her," she said.
Jennifer had slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. Joanna knocked and waited.
"Come in," Jenny said finally, reluctantly.
Her grandparents had furnished the extra bed room with Jenny specifically in mind, making it a home-away-from-home; a place where she was
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