“Why did you stay with a man like that?” Mabel’s eyes narrowed into slits.

“Why do you think? I was groomed to be a trophy wife from birth. Keeping a spotless apartment at least gave me something to do.” She lowered her voice. “Truth is, I was glad when he ran off with a bag of diamonds and another woman. I’d had about all I could stand of his cheating, and after . . .” She stopped before she said too much.

“You deserve better than that kind of treatment,” Mabel growled. “I’m sorry about the way things turned out, honey. You go on and make yourself a good breakfast. I’ve got to go make sure those two girls your mama hired to clean are doing things right.”

“This place couldn’t run without you, Mabel.” Jennie Sue laid six strips of bacon out in a cast-iron skillet.

“Oh, honey, there ain’t a one of us that couldn’t be replaced,” Mabel replied as she left the room.

Jennie Sue had lived on fast food on the bus trip for more than two days, so she was really looking forward to a good, hearty breakfast. When she finished cooking, she carried her plate of crispy bacon, four fried eggs, two pieces of toast, and a nice big hash brown that she’d made from a real potato to the table. She’d just sat down to eat when her mother entered the kitchen.

“What the hell?” Charlotte stopped dead.

Jennie Sue got ready for a lecture about calories and fat grams. “Good mornin’, Mama. Care to join me for a healthy breakfast? It’s the most important meal of the day, you know.”

Charlotte picked up the plate, slid everything on it into the garbage disposal, and flipped the switch. “This is tough love, darlin’. You are going to get back into shape so we can shop for decent clothing for you. You can’t go out in public in those ratty cheap jeans and worn-out running shoes. And I’m not buying one single thing for you until you are back in the size you wore when you got married.”

Jennie Sue clenched her hands under the table. “And what if I don’t lose the pounds, and what if I like my ratty jeans?”

“Don’t get pissy with me. This is for your own good. We’ve got to get you in shape so you can find another husband,” Charlotte said. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t fuss at you.”

“I don’t want another husband, and I sure don’t want another rich one. I’m not you, Mama. I want to eat what I want and live my own life,” she said through clenched teeth.

Charlotte grabbed a towel and wiped sweat from her face. “Settle down, darlin’. Of course you want a rich husband. You’re just mad at me for takin’ care of you. We’ll slowly let out the word that Percy lost all his money and you divorced him. By the end of all our Christmas parties, I bet you’ll have another good man on the hook. I’ll call Mabel to make you an egg-white omelet with tomatoes and fresh spinach if you think you have to eat something. But no more orange juice.” She wiggled her finger so fast it was a blur. “Too many carbs, and no toast or biscuits besides.”

“No, thank you,” Jennie Sue said. “I’ll remake my own breakfast.”

“Not under my roof.” Charlotte raised her voice.

“That can be remedied real easy, Mama.” Jennie Sue pushed back her chair and stood.

“You wouldn’t dare leave.” Charlotte’s voice jacked up several octaves. “I’d be the laughingstock of the whole state if you go out in public looking like you do. Gossip has already stirred up over the fact that you came into town on a bus.”

“I don’t give a damn about rumors. If they’re gossiping about me, they’re letting someone else rest. I’ll be glad to whip up an egg-white omelet for you if you want one.” She had learned long ago to stay calm when her mother’s voice went all shrill and squeaky.

Charlotte glared at Jennie Sue, who had no doubt that things could start flying through the air at any time if her mother didn’t get her way.

“I don’t want a damned egg-white omelet. I want you to be reasonable and do what I say. I’m your mother. I know what’s best for you,” Charlotte yelled, loud enough that it could have been heard all the way up in the attic.

“Oh, really? Seems to me that you liked Percy and thought he was the right man for me. Look how that turned out.” Jennie Sue wasn’t backing down.

“What happened to you?” Charlotte picked up a cup and slung it at the wall. “You used to listen to me.”

“Yes, I did, and look what it got me. I hated being a cheerleader, but it was important to you, so I endured it. I didn’t want a big fancy wedding, and I was a wreck the whole time you planned it. I hated New York, but you said I’d get used to it. Listenin’ to you hasn’t always worked for me.” She went to the pantry and got a broom and dustpan.

“Don’t you dare clean that up,” Charlotte declared. “That’s Mabel’s job.”

Jennie Sue ignored her and swept the shattered glass into the dustpan. “Is it worth it, Mama?”

“Is what worth it?” Charlotte popped her hands on her hips.

“All these years of ignoring all Daddy’s affairs.”

“Was it worth ignoring Percy’s?” Charlotte shot back at her.

“No, it wasn’t, but after living in this house, I’d been trained to think that was life in general. The husband cheats. The wife ignores it as long as she gets all her pretty little things like new cars and jewelry. I hate all this.” She waved her hand to take in everything. “I’m glad that Percy left, so I didn’t have to leave him. I was sick of what it took to be his wife.” She picked up her coffee cup.

Charlotte shook her finger under Jennie Sue’s nose. “Don’t judge me, girl! I’ve got everything I want in life.”

“Good for you if you are satisfied with a relationship like this. But I don’t want another rich husband if this is part of the package deal. I want to eat what I want and wear what I want, and having a fancy house or a new Caddy every year isn’t worth putting up with a cheating husband or a demanding bastard like Percy.” Jennie Sue started out of the room.

“Well, good luck with that,” Charlotte screamed. “Go on up there and pout in your self-righteousness. Someday you’ll learn what life is all about.”

Jennie Sue turned around. “Take me like I am or else. That’s my new motto.”

“Then you can live with the consequences of such a stupid thing, and I’ll see to it you don’t have a dime to live on until you come to your senses,” Charlotte threatened. “I know for a fact that you’ve got less than a thousand dollars in your purse.”

“You been snoopin’ in my stuff?” Jennie Sue asked.

“I call it protectin’ my daughter,” Charlotte said.

“I can always get a job as a waitress somewhere.”

Charlotte threw her hand over her forehead and slumped down into a kitchen chair. “You are going to ruin me for sure. I don’t know why God couldn’t have given me an outgoing daughter that I could relate to, instead of my mother-in-law reincarnated.”

“I’m so sorry that you didn’t get what you wanted.” Jennie Sue heard another cup hit the wall as she climbed the steps, but then there was nothing but silence.

“Tough love,” Jennie Sue muttered. “Well, Mama, that works both ways.”

In fifteen minutes, she was in the garage with her purse slung over her shoulder and her suitcase in her hand. It was three hours until the daily bus came through Bloom on its way to Sweetwater and then went on to Abilene. She’d buy a ticket for Abilene, spend the rest of the day at the employment office, and then go from that point. Hopefully she could find something—anything from doing waitress work to cleaning hotel rooms—until she could put her degree to use in some kind of business.

But first, she was using a few dollars to buy a decent breakfast at the café. After that she’d go to the cemetery to visit her daughter’s grave, and then she’d get on the bus and never look back.

“Hey, Frank, reckon I could borrow a car? I’ll leave it at the bus station,” she said when she reached the garage.