“Yeah, that’s the word.” He says, smiling.
I don’t break his heart and tell him that his grandma is just being a bitch and picking, trying to get under my skin. “Tell her I’m sure there’s noodles somewhere around here.” Nathan hadn’t thrown them out despite threatening to.
“Oh, those are good. Do you think she’ll fix me some too?” He asks hopefully.
Considering I can barely remember her personally cooking for me once growing up, I highly doubt it. The one time I do have memory of the food was dry and flavorless. “You can ask,” I say instead just as I hear Lilly let out a whine.
Frowning, I get to my feet and Tanner turns, going down the hall ahead of me. It’s rare that Lilly cries, mostly when she wants one of the guys or doesn’t want to walk, but other than that…
Walking into the living room, I find my mother holding Lilly up at an arm’s distance and frowning at her as tears run down Lilly’s face.
“What did you do to her?” I ask, snatching her away and cradling her to my chest, feeling her tears soak through my shirt. One of her little hands grips my shirt, refusing to let go.
Mother turns her nose up and crosses her legs, an exasperated look on her face. “I didn’t do anything to her, I just picked her up and she started crying.”
“Probably because you were pinching her with those razor claws,” I bark, pointing at her long, fake, pink nails.
She squints at me, obviously not pleased. “You know she should really be talking more by now and when are you going to get her potty trained? She’s too old to be running around here in pampers still.”
My mouth drops open and my skin grows hot with anger. “And how would you know? You didn’t even raise your own kids, nannies did.”
She presses an offended hand to her chest and eyes me. “No, nannies helped, but I did all the hard work.” She frowns at Lilly. “You and your sister were potty trained at that age and you were talking a lot.”
I highly doubt it, but I know that if I sit here and argue with her, we’ll be here for hours. It’s the last thing I want with Tanner watching us with wide eyes. “Whatever.”
“Food, Tanner?” she asks, turning her head to look at him.
“We have noodles,” he tells her with a bright smile.
Her mouth falls open as she looks at me, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You don’t have anything more nutritious here.” She lets out a tsk as she pulls out her phone and starts typing on it. “I’m going to tell Judge Coughney about this.”
Somebody fucking help me before I kill her.
* * *
Somehow I make it a week without killing the plastic bat, but she doesn’t make it easy. She fusses about every little thing before informing me that she’s going to tell the judge about how bad our living situation is. Once I asked her if the judge was someone she was having an affair with since he seemed to be at her beck and call and she didn’t appreciate the remark. Her face had flared red and she’d pointed one of those claws at me before storming away. She didn’t bother attending Tanner’s game since she remarked it was too hot and not even Tanner’s disappointed face could change her mind. I took the opportunity to stay away from the house and her longer than necessary.
I’ve decided Lilly hates her and a part of me feels joy at that but then guilt because I know it’s not what Lilly would have wanted. But anytime the woman tries to pick her up, she starts fussing. It all came to a head when mother changed Lilly’s diaper and ended up with poop under those manicured claws. She’s kept her distance from the two year old ever since.
I don’t recall Lilly ever having a problem with the woman before she came into my custody, or at least Kylie never mentionedit.
“Aunt Ivy, why aren’t you going with us?” Tanner asks, breaking my thoughts. I watch as he pulls a baseball cap over his brown curls before sitting down to pull his shoes on.
Because I don’t want to be anywhere near your grandmother.
I don’t tell him that though, instead I just give him a smile. “Because I feel a little under the weather today.” It’s a bold face lie, but he doesn’t seem to realize it.
Instead his mouth just parts slightly. “Okay.” He gets up and gives me a hug, wrapping his arms around me. I hug him back. “I hope you feel better.”
I will, as soon as your grandmother hops her overpriced ass on a plane and goes back to California.
“Tanner, dear, hurry, or we’re going to miss the brunch special,” mother says appearing around the corner. She had on silk dress and heels that are far too formal for a normal day. She’s taking the kids to brunch at some place she looked up online. She didn’t invite me, but I didn’t want an invitation anyway.
“Are you sure you want to take Lilly?” I ask, looking at the sleeping toddler on the couch.
She narrows her eyes. “Of course, she’s my only granddaughter and I’d like to spend time with her too. Where is that measly diaper bag?” she asks and I roll my eyes.
I get Lilly settled in her car seat, a little hesitant to let her go. Mother has been on a show of acting like a doting Grandma even as she’s kept distance between her and the toddler. It’s more of an effort than she’s made with me. Not that Lilly has been impressed. Lucky for her, she’s knocked out and isn’t aware that she’s leaving with the witch. She’ll probably have hell on her hands when she wakes up though.