All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Author:Bryn Greenwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466885806
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

7

WAVY

“Wavy? Your mom’s a little upset. Could you come down and talk to her?” Patty said.

I liked Patty okay. She was better than Casey the day nurse, who had a big smiley voice. It was Patty’s job to be there at night and listen to Mama cry and say awful things. She sounded scared.

I was getting ready to go riding with Kellen, but I went downstairs.

At least the nurses didn’t let Mama lie in bed all day and not wash. I was learning their tricks. How to say, “Let’s get up and brush your teeth. Little steps. Sit up first and then we’ll try to stand up.”

At first, Mama had been horrible to look at. Black and purple, and then green and yellow, but now she was just Mama. Crying and screaming, “Alone!”

I went into her bedroom and closed the door, trying not to be angry that she was stealing time from Kellen. I stood next to the bed, but I didn’t touch her. All Mama wanted was someone to listen.

First it was Grandma. Grandma always liked Aunt Brenda better. Grandma never liked Liam. She never came to visit when Donal and I were born. But how could Grandma come visit if Mama never told her where we were?

Then Liam. Liam and his dirty whores. Liam always thinking with his dick. Liam Liam Liam. I was old enough to know there wasn’t any real magic in the words not to be trusted, but it made my head hurt how Mama would say his name over and over without that protection. Like she wanted him to come and hurt her.

“You can’t trust them, baby. As soon as they’ve got your pussy, they want some other girl’s pussy. Liam, that’s all he wants, notches in his belt. Sean, too. That’s all I ever was. A score. And don’t think that diamond ring means anything.”

Mama grabbed my hand and glared at my ring.

“Kellen bought you that, didn’t he? Liam says, ‘Hell, in some countries I’d have to pay him to take her off my hands.’ He thinks it’s funny. And you’re so stupid you think it’s romantic. Let me tell you a secret, that ring doesn’t mean shit.”

I jerked my hand away and hid it behind my back.

“Kellen is like every other man. All he’s thinking about is getting to fuck you. That’s all they think about. I thought when Liam put a ring on my finger, he would love me forever, but it was a lie. You want that ring, too? I sure don’t need it.”

Mama tried to reach for the night table drawer, but her shoulder still hurt. She flopped back on the bed and moaned. Tears ran out of her, so much water it was like a flood that I soaked up with the corner of the sheet.

“Is everything okay?” Patty said outside.

“Baby,” Mama moaned. The mean went out of her eyes and they were only sad. “Be careful. Don’t do what I did and get knocked up, because then you’ll be stuck.

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