other colorful expressions had been invented. “Kali, honey, come take the bacon out of the oven.”
“Bacon?” Kali repeated in surprise. The Metts had another rule. No cholesterol, fatty meats, or complex carbohydrates were allowed in the house. Of course, the rule was annulled when the girls were on their own for dinner. Cholesterol, fatty meats, and complex carbs were building blocks for fast food. And fast food was what Kali and Rozzy usually ordered.
Lisa smiled. “It’s turkey bacon, extra lean. Chop chop, before that burns too.” Kali hurried to the stove obediently, grabbing an oven mitt to retrieve the endangered breakfast while Lisa busied herself raking the ashes of the dead pancake into the trashcan. “Put the bacon in that awful serving dish. You know the one with the smiling pansies. It makes your dad happy to see me using it every once in awhile.”
Kali couldn’t help grunting as she retrieved the bulky orange, brown, and purple atrocity from the cabinet. Its colors matched nothing in Lisa’s meticulous black and red deco that was accented by white appliances. One of a kind and hand painted, the artist had chosen to place a brown flower as the focal piece in a field of happily colored pansies. If anyone gazed at the picture for more than three seconds, the brown blossom appeared to have teeth. To make matters worse, Greg’s mother had given the ‘gift’ to Lisa as a tenth anniversary present.
“It’s not like she hasn’t been here a million times.” Lisa gestured about the kitchen. “She’s seen my taste. That woman intentionally picked out the most garish item from the bargain bin at the flea market.” Lisa shook her head, continuing to rant. Kali sort of tuned her out. Every use of the serving dish incited the same speech from Lisa. Each time Lisa came to the same conclusion. “All these years and she still hates me.”
“She’s not so fond of me either,” Kali volunteered without thinking. She had often thought those words but never said them out loud.
Lisa carried the omelets and pancakes to the table with a concerned expression. “Why would you say such a thing?”
Too late to take it back. “It’s the way she looks at me some times. And stuff she says…more so what she doesn’t say.”
After a hesitant pause, Lisa told Kali something she had never explained to her daughter before. “Greg’s only brother died young. When your father and I accepted that we couldn’t conceive any more children, his mother took it even harder than we did. She understandably wanted a grandson to carry on the family name. We all decided that Greg and I would adopt a boy, but then you came to us Kali and we completely fell in love with you. I’ve never regretted the decision and neither has Greg.” She tucked a lock of Kali’s hair behind her ear. “Marie didn’t feel the same way. She’s really angry at me for not being able to give Greg a son.”
“I’m sorry, Lisa.”
Though it had happened decades in the past, a shadow of pain flickered across the older woman’s face. Then she smiled bravely. But it was a sad expression. “I’m not,” she said.
Kali turned away. She didn’t like to see Lisa so unhappy.
In a rare moment of perfect timing, Rozzy ducked past the kitchen window from the outside. Her clothes were the same from the night before, though wrinkled as if they’d been slept in. Moses spotted her too and meowed longingly at the window.
“Crapola,” Kali whispered, remembering something else she had forgotten.
Chapter 8
Kali quickly looked at her adoptive mom to see if she had noticed her kid sneaking around outside. But Lisa was too busy shooing Moses out of the kitchen. “I’ll go bring Greg and Rozzy down for breakfast,” Kali said. Without waiting for a reply, she dashed up the stairs.
“Greg!” she called and pounded on her parents’ door. “Breakfast is ready! There’s real bacon!” The last part was a lie, but she
“Bacon?” Kali repeated in surprise. The Metts had another rule. No cholesterol, fatty meats, or complex carbohydrates were allowed in the house. Of course, the rule was annulled when the girls were on their own for dinner. Cholesterol, fatty meats, and complex carbs were building blocks for fast food. And fast food was what Kali and Rozzy usually ordered.
Lisa smiled. “It’s turkey bacon, extra lean. Chop chop, before that burns too.” Kali hurried to the stove obediently, grabbing an oven mitt to retrieve the endangered breakfast while Lisa busied herself raking the ashes of the dead pancake into the trashcan. “Put the bacon in that awful serving dish. You know the one with the smiling pansies. It makes your dad happy to see me using it every once in awhile.”
Kali couldn’t help grunting as she retrieved the bulky orange, brown, and purple atrocity from the cabinet. Its colors matched nothing in Lisa’s meticulous black and red deco that was accented by white appliances. One of a kind and hand painted, the artist had chosen to place a brown flower as the focal piece in a field of happily colored pansies. If anyone gazed at the picture for more than three seconds, the brown blossom appeared to have teeth. To make matters worse, Greg’s mother had given the ‘gift’ to Lisa as a tenth anniversary present.
“It’s not like she hasn’t been here a million times.” Lisa gestured about the kitchen. “She’s seen my taste. That woman intentionally picked out the most garish item from the bargain bin at the flea market.” Lisa shook her head, continuing to rant. Kali sort of tuned her out. Every use of the serving dish incited the same speech from Lisa. Each time Lisa came to the same conclusion. “All these years and she still hates me.”
“She’s not so fond of me either,” Kali volunteered without thinking. She had often thought those words but never said them out loud.
Lisa carried the omelets and pancakes to the table with a concerned expression. “Why would you say such a thing?”
Too late to take it back. “It’s the way she looks at me some times. And stuff she says…more so what she doesn’t say.”
After a hesitant pause, Lisa told Kali something she had never explained to her daughter before. “Greg’s only brother died young. When your father and I accepted that we couldn’t conceive any more children, his mother took it even harder than we did. She understandably wanted a grandson to carry on the family name. We all decided that Greg and I would adopt a boy, but then you came to us Kali and we completely fell in love with you. I’ve never regretted the decision and neither has Greg.” She tucked a lock of Kali’s hair behind her ear. “Marie didn’t feel the same way. She’s really angry at me for not being able to give Greg a son.”
“I’m sorry, Lisa.”
Though it had happened decades in the past, a shadow of pain flickered across the older woman’s face. Then she smiled bravely. But it was a sad expression. “I’m not,” she said.
Kali turned away. She didn’t like to see Lisa so unhappy.
In a rare moment of perfect timing, Rozzy ducked past the kitchen window from the outside. Her clothes were the same from the night before, though wrinkled as if they’d been slept in. Moses spotted her too and meowed longingly at the window.
“Crapola,” Kali whispered, remembering something else she had forgotten.
Chapter 8
Kali quickly looked at her adoptive mom to see if she had noticed her kid sneaking around outside. But Lisa was too busy shooing Moses out of the kitchen. “I’ll go bring Greg and Rozzy down for breakfast,” Kali said. Without waiting for a reply, she dashed up the stairs.
“Greg!” she called and pounded on her parents’ door. “Breakfast is ready! There’s real bacon!” The last part was a lie, but she
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