Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 125117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“That’s awesome,” Greta said deliberately. “I can’t wait to come visit you there. And I can’t wait for all of you to come visit me in New Orleans and let me show you around.”
“Some of us have jobs and can’t just pick up and fly across the country at a moment’s notice,” Sadie said.
Fury blazed through Greta, but before she could open her mouth, Maggie spoke.
“Would you stop being so shitty to Greta all the time, Sadie? I don’t know what your deal is with her, but you never talk to the rest of us the way you talk to her.”
Sadie blinked at Maggie. “She just swanned in here and accused us all of ruining her life and now is like, ‘Oh, come visit my beautiful paradise that I’ve lived in for one second.’”
“That is not what I said, Sadie!” Greta exploded. “You’re so determined to take anything I say in the worst possible way. But you know what, that’s not my problem. I think you feel like since you’ve been the good, responsible oldest child your whole life, you’re mad at anyone who hasn’t. You’re bitter and jealous because you think if you didn’t get to do something, then no one else should get to do it either. But like you said, you’re an adult now, and you can do whatever you want. So if what you want is to be a shady bitch to me all the time, then I guess that’s your call. But once we aren’t around each other all the time anymore, we won’t have a relationship if you’re like this.”
“This is ridiculous,” Sadie said and stood. “I’m going upstairs. Tell me when she leaves.”
“Biiiitch,” Maggie whispered to Greta.
“She doesn’t mean any of that,” Greta’s mom said. “You’re her sister and she loves you. We all do.”
“What would you think if she does mean it?” Greta asked.
“No, no, she doesn’t.”
“Right, Mom, but I’m asking what your opinion of her would be if she really meant every word. Because it’s a lot of work going around assuming someone doesn’t mean 80 percent of what they say.”
“I don’t know what you’re getting at, Greta Louise. She’s your sister.”
Greta’s patience with her mother snapped. “I don’t actually believe you’re as oblivious to Sadie’s shit as you make out to be. I think you know she’ll stir things up so that you don’t have to do it, and then you can sit back and act like you’re the nice one while she does the dirty work. Like at the auction this year. You knew I’d hate it, because you know I’m queer and you know I think the auction is a horrific callback to selling enslaved people. But you let Sadie be the one I was mad at so your hands would be clean. You want us all to stay here, under your thumb, so you’ll always know what we’re doing and you don’t have to do the work to figure out who you are or what you want for yourself besides being a mother.”
Greta ran out of breath as her brain caught up with her mouth.
Her mother goggled at her, mouth open, but nothing came out.
“Greta, don’t,” Tillie murmured. Her sister looked scared. Even Adelaide wasn’t meeting her eyes.
“No, I’m sorry, but I have to say this. I don’t want this life. I have no scorn for it! It’s just not what’s right for me.”
Greta could practically see her mother wipe her previous comment away and choose to focus on her most recent one.
“You don’t need to work with us if you don’t want to,” Nell said stiffly. “You could do whatever you want and we can still be a family.”
Greta wanted to scream. “We are still a family! Me living in New Orleans, or Maggie living on the West Coast, it doesn’t make us any less of a family.”
Their mother sniffed. “Is it so terrible that I want all my babies near me?” she said.
“No, of course it’s not terrible,” Greta said. “It’s just not what’s going to happen.” She waited for Addie or her father to chime in, but they didn’t. “I wish you could be happy for me,” Greta said, taking them all in with her eyes. “Did you hear the part about how I’m in love with Carys and I adore New Orleans?” she added hopefully.
Tillie nodded absently. Adelaide chewed on her lip. Her father frowned at his uneaten plate of latkes and pot roast.
Her mother said, “You’ve only been there a few weeks, Greta. I’m glad you’ve had a fun trip, but we’re talking about the rest of your life! How will you live?”
“I’ll get a job.”
Her mother was shaking her head. “I’ll never get to see you,” she said. She began clearing the dinner table aggressively, even though no one had finished their food. “We’ll never be together the way we have been,” she added when she reentered the dining room. “Nothing will be the same.”