“She still hasn’t owned up to tattling on us, huh?” I said.
“Nope. She acted all offended when I even suggested it. But the timing of when she saw my message to my mom and when the enforcers found us… And she really wasn’t happy about me going with you guys at all. It makes me sick thinking about it, but what can you do? She’s always been a hard-ass. I just figured she’d have more loyalty to Rose as part of the family.”
“Family’s a strange thing,” I said, sorting my supplies back into the larger carrying case I was storing them in at the manor. “People are always making decisions about who counts and who doesn’t. I’ve got a few relatives who don’t see me as a full Lyang because my parents raised me totally Americanized. I don’t follow fast enough when they’re speaking in Korean; I haven’t been over to visit the relatives ‘back home’ often enough. The way I look at it, you pick the people who show they’re really going to act like family, and the rest, well, their loss.”
“Yeah,” Naomi said quietly. “It just hurts. You always want to think your family has the same values you do. For her to not only let this slide but actively help them…” She shuddered. “And I don’t even know half of what’s going on.”
“It’s a pretty crappy situation all around.”
“I wish I had a better idea what we’re up against. Knowing there’s this stuff you all know that you can’t tell me about, with all the things I already know… It’s hard to feel safe like that.”
She looked so uneasy right then that I was hit with a pang of guilt that I couldn’t tell her more. But I was bound by the oath just as much as Rose was.
“If Rose finds a way around it, you know you’ll be the first person she goes to,” I said. “There’s one good thing that came out of this mess, right? I don’t think she’s had anyone she can count on outside of us before you two reconnected.”
Naomi’s smile came back, softer this time. “It’s hard to be upset about that part. I’d stay longer, butmyconsort is going to start thinking I’ve set up my own little harem over here without him.”
I chuckled. “You could always bring him along next time. He could join in with your new harem.”
She laughed too, her mood lighter. I went to wash my hands with more of a sense of accomplishment.
I had my own family obligation today, but one I didn’t mind fulfilling. I’d only seen my mother once since we’d gotten back from our unexpected road trip of sorts, and then just for a chat. We were supposed to be acting like everything was normal. I knew the other guys, the ones with family in town, had been making a point to keeping in regular contact. So when Mom had texted me asking me over for lunch, I’d told her sure.
I’d talked to my dad on the phone, but who knew when I’d see him again. He’d wrapped up his South American tour with the band he was playing bass for and then he’d scored a new gig that had him in an L.A. recording studio on a tight schedule. For as long as I could remember, he’d been out of town at least as often as he was here.
On my way through town, I swung by the bakery and picked up Mom’s favorite rye. She’d left the inner door of her bungalow open so the breeze could come through the screen door. I gave it a light rap and stepped inside.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Jin!” she called from the kitchen. “On time for once, hmm?” Her tone was gently ribbing.
“And I even brought the bread,” I said, ambling over and setting it on the table.
“Oh, perfect, I was just getting down to the heel of my last loaf.” She tucked her short bob back behind her ears and ducked to retrieve the fixings from the fridge. “I was thinking we could sit out back on the deck, it’s so nice out. The wasps haven’t been too bad this year.”
“Works for me.”
We assembled our sandwiches in tandem, and I carried both plates out to the patio table on the small deck that overlooked the yard, which was half vegetable garden, half flowering extravaganza. Dad might not be here all that often, but his gigs paid well enough that Mom hadn’t bothered going back to full-time work since the Hallowells had fired her from their gardening staff. That meant she had plenty of time to work on her own gardens.
Mom brought out iced tea and poured us both a full glass. We sat back and dug in, not saying much at first, just enjoying the meal and the view. The scent rising off the flowers was a perfect perfume, which I guessed was why the wasps liked to hang out back here lots of the time.
“You’ve talked to your father recently?” Mom said after a while.
“Yep. Sounds like he’s having a blast even with how busy they’re keeping him in the studio.”
“He’s always happiest when he’s creating something.” A fond smile lit Mom’s face. Watching her, my gut twisted a little. She never seemed unhappy with the way their relationship worked, but I found it hard to believe she never got lonely, never wished he loved her a little more and the music a little less. The way I felt about Rose, I’d never have gone off without her for months every year.
“You used to be the same way,” she added, glancing over at me with a slight narrowing of her eyes that put me on instant alert. My mom had been pretty easy-going in general when I was growing up, but I could spot her strict side coming out in an instant. She didn’t usually try to pull it on me these days.
“I still am,” I said easily. “I was just doing some painting today.” I held up my hand, displaying the flecks of color I hadn’t quite managed to wash off.
“Not the way you used to,” Mom said. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’ve changed in the last couple months. Ever since Rose Hallowell got back into town.”
The bread I’d been chewing turned sour in my mouth. I swallowed it. Mom had never even hinted she had a problem with Rose before. “I don’t think Rose being back has changed anything.”
“Your father told me you turned down the chance to travel with him like you two used to.”
“It was last minute, and I had other plans,” I said. Like making sure Rose’s asshole ex-fiancé and father didn’t take over her life.