The Vineyard Sisters by Grace Palmer

Author:Grace Palmer [Palmer, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grace Palmer

Schenectady, New York

Jill didn’t even bother going to her apartment first. After the ferry ride and the long drive, she felt greasy and dehydrated and in desperate need of a shower, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to truly relax until she saw her mom.

She parked out front of her mother’s building, then trudged in and up. When she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she could hear a Perry Mason episode playing on the television.

“Hey, Mom. It’s me,” Jill yelled. Sometimes, her mom hardly noticed the door opening. Other times, she’d be seconds away from calling the police or pepper-spraying her own daughter.

“Where have you been, dear?” her mom called from the living room. Jill could hear the springs of her rocking chair as she leaned forward to see into the entryway. “I haven’t seen you or Grayson all day.”

Until now, Jill had been clinging to the hope that her mom was having a good day. Apparently not.

“Sorry,” she said. She wrapped an arm around her mom’s shoulders and kissed her head. “I was out, but it’s good to see you. Have you eaten yet?”

She walked into the kitchen and could see the remnants of her mom’s meal delivery service sitting next to the sink. A half-eaten piece of lasagna, green beans, and the crumbs of a brownie.

“Not yet. I was waiting for you.”

Jill opened the fridge. Brenda had stocked it with fruits and vegetables she’d pre-washed and cut, cheese sticks, and yogurt cups. All of her mom’s favorites. Jill grabbed a handful of strawberries and a cheese stick and walked into the living room.

Her stomach rumbled. This wasn’t anything like what Leslie was probably making for dinner.

“Did you and Brenda get along?”

Her mom frowned. “Who?”

“Never mind. How’s Perry Mason doing?” she asked instead. She didn’t want to get in an argument so soon after coming back.

“Oh, I’m not sure. This is a new episode and I don’t think I’m following it very well.”

Jill watched the screen for a minute and recognized the episode. It was the same one that had been on the television the last time she’d seen her mom. She watched it once every few days.

Going to Martha’s Vineyard had made Jill realize how small her life was. How much she’d given up. Now, sitting in her mom’s living room, she realized she’d done the same thing to her mom.

They were hermits, both of them. Shutting themselves inside, watching reruns on television, eating the same few meals night after night after night. And hardly seeing anyone aside from each other.

“What do you think about taking a vacation, Mom?” Jill asked.

Amelia wrinkled her nose. “I’m too old for that.”

“For exploring something new? You’re never too old for that.”

“I don’t want to.” She shook her head. “Plus, you and Grayson have school. And we don’t have the money.”

She was right about one thing: they certainly didn’t have the money for a full-blown vacation. The travel, lodging, and food would wipe out the little savings they had in no time.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.