2. Chapter 2
Edith
4 years later
Mom and Dad left yesterday for a second honeymoon. Big E’s in charge of the diner and Gene had plans to meet some friends in Vegas.
Evie is in my care, leaving me tending to her sixteen-year-old ass and my four-year-old son. While working.
“Mattie, can you take a bottle of mustard to table five?”
“Can do, Ebee.” He ran behind the counter, grabbed the bottle and darted over to the table.
“He’s not your slave, Evelyn.” I sighed, knowing it was a losing battle.
“I know that.” She shrugged. “But he likes to help, and I was working at his age, so fairs, fair.”
“Enoch?”
My brother shook his head. “She’s right.”
“I help, Mama.” Matthew hopped up on a stool at the counter. “I good.”
“You are very good.” I smiled. “You can help.”
He smiled big and went back to his coloring book until someone called for him.
Matthew was the best thing to ever happen to me. As an infant, he almost never cried. He loved to learn. And he potty trained himself.
One day he decided he wanted ninja turtle underwear, and that was that.
My parents owned a fourplex, and we lived across the hall from Big E. It was nice having our own space.
“Hey Edie?” Evelyn leaned over the counter. “Do you mind if I have a couple friends over after work?”
“No.” I continued wrapping silverware in napkins. “We’re closed tomorrow so we all get a break, so that works out well.”
“Awesome!” She went to check on her tables and I went to get a plate of fries to nibble.
“Can I has some?” Matthew gave me a goofy grin.
“Of course.” I pushed the plate closer to him.
My sister came back over and snatched a fry as she traded coffee pots and made another round.
These were the moments that made me feel amazing. My son was happy, my sister was doing her job and not being her sarcastic self, and Big E stayed in the kitchen.
We made a good team. Hell, who was I kidding? My entire family made an excellent team. Mom and Dad took a chance on an old diner, and they turned it around, making it one of the best places to eat.
Even through growing a family, the level of excellence never waned. And in turn we all loved working here.
Our day flew by and I couldn’t wait to get home, shower, and kick back. Big E made plans to take Matthew to the movies and have a boy’s night out, which gave me time to myself.
Not having to rush, I kicked my shoes off at the door and made my way to the shower. Something on the wall caught my attention and after I set the water I turned back to see what it was.
Matthew drew me a flower with an I love mom note.
“I’m raising a good man.” Tears filled my eyes. My brothers and dad were ideal examples of how a man should act and they were rubbing off on him.
Greg bailed that day at the pub and never looked back. In four years, he’d never seen his son, and I was good with that. Not that I would keep him away if he chose to come around.
But I sure as fuck wasn’t going out of my way to make that happen.
I stripped down, got in the hot water and took my time for once. No rushing to shave my legs. Or rinse the conditioner out of my hair. I could stand there until the water ran cold and let myself be brain-dead.
Once the water cooled, I rinsed off and got out, then went to my room wrapped in a towel. I found my favorite shorts and tee, slipping them on and went to the fridge to grab a beer.
After I popped the top off, I went to my purse and dug out the pack of smokes I had hidden there and went to sit on the front porch.
The moment I lit the cigarette Evie, and her friend walked up.
“That’s bad for your health.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
I snorted. “What are you going to do? Tell on me?”
She shook her head. “No. But I just wanted to be sure you knew you were trying to kill yourself slowly.”
Her friend Flavia shoved her. “Chill out, Evie.” Then she held her hand out. “Can I have one?”
“You’re too young.” I took a drag and as I blew the smoke out, she pulled a pack from her pocket and lit one up. “What the hell, Flavia?”
She shrugged. “My dad knows.”
“My dad would kill me.” Evie snorted. “Which means he’d kill you too.”
“I don’t smoke all the time, Evelyn.” I took another drag. “Just here and there to take the edge off.”
“Hrmph.” She looked around and then at her watch.
“They’ll be here, Evie.” Flavia grinned. “Cesare promised.”
“I don’t get what you see in him.” My sister took a seat on the sidewalk.
“Um, he’s hot.” Flavia widened her eyes. “Like arm porn hot.”
“Cesare Cordova?” Evie wrinkled her nose.
Her friend shook her head. “More for me.”
Laughter bubbled out of me. They reminded me of when I was their age talking about boys with my friends.
Some things never change.
“Speaking of.” Flavia took another drag from her cigarette and nodded behind Evie.
She turned and then looked back at her friend. “Cesare brought Marco the Martian with? Ew. At least Amanda can keep him on a leash.”
“Why is he a Martian?” I took a swig of my beer.
Evie rolled her eyes at me. “He’s a foreign exchange student.” I couldn’t stop the laugh that happened, causing me to spit my beer all over her. “Gross, Edie!”
I wiped my mouth off and shook my head. “Sorry, Evie.”
“S’up.” The Cordova boy smirked at Flavia and set down a case of bottled beer. “It’s cold.”
“And my favorite kind.” She batted her eyes at him.
Fuck my life. When Evelyn asked about having friends over, she knew they’d bring booze.
“So you’re parents are gone?” The new girl took a seat beside my sister. “Who’s she?”
“That’s my older sister, Edith.”
That brat had to stress older.
“You cool?” She made duck lips at me.
“As long as you don’t act like a bunch of assholes. Yeah.” I took another drink.
The boys sat down, and Flavia sat beside me. “Thanks for being so cool about this, Edie.”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“What kind of name is Edith?” The girl I assumed was Amanda sneered.
Evie didn’t let anyone else say a word. “It’s an old family name, you uncultured bitch.”
The boys busted up with laughter and the one who brought the beer pointed at her. “I told you; Evie doesn’t take shit.”
“She didn’t have to be rude.” Amanda crossed her arms over her chest.
Evelyn popped up from the ground. “Neither did you.”
She walked up beside me and went into the apartment.
“Can you believe Judge Brooks failed me?” Cesare uncapped his beer and guzzled it down.
“He’s still teaching?” I laughed, stretching my legs out in front of me. “He was old when I had him, so he must be ancient now.”
“Was he a big dick when you had him?” He pointed to me with his bottle.
“Yep.”
Cesare shrugged. “You’d think with my last name he’d pass me.”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “You could be Jesus Christ and if you didn’t put the work in, he’d fail you.”
The kids laughed and Evie came back out with a bottle of root beer. She sat back down, and they all dove into what’s going on at school, movies, and places to hang out.
I left them to enjoy the time together and went inside to curl up with my newest Stephen King book. He was my favorite author, and between being a mom and working there had been precious little time to read.
The book sucked me in, and I lost track of time, but was pulled out of the fictional world when I heard glass shatter. Stuffing my bookmark into it, I jumped up and ran outside.
“C’mon, Marco!” Flavia clapped her hands. “You can throw it farther!”
I watched in horror as Marco, Cesare, and Amanda hurled empty beer bottles into the street. My sister shook her head and took a few steps back, watching them, then turned around walking towards me.
“Idiots.” She grumped and went past me into the building.
Amanda looked back, saw me and smiled as she threw one while keeping eye contact.
That little bitch.
She let out a raucous laugh and threw a full bottle. It arced up into the air and landed with a juicy splat.
Our apartment building stood dead center of the cul-de-sac, meaning we didn’t get a lot of traffic, but people still lived here and drove on the road.
“Guys!” I called out to them, but no one responded. Either they heard me and ignored me, or they didn’t hear me.
I took a deep breath and walked back to get a cigarette before I kicked their collective asses, and right as I put the flame to the tip, I heard sirens.
Shit.
Two patrol cars turned onto my street and drove around the circle. Once parked, both driver’s doors opened and two officers stood there surveying the road.
Two thoughts hit me simultaneously.
One? I’m the only legal adult outside with these hooligans.
Two? I’m going to jail.
“Evening, Edie.” Officer Campbell looked my way. “You know these kids?”
Say no. Act like you don’t know them.
“Yeah.” I took a long drag off my cigarette.
I’m going to jail.
The main door from the apartment building slammed shut, and I turned to see Evie standing on the porch.
“You there.” The other officer pointed at her. “Go back inside.”
“Why?” her hands went to her hips.
Shit. Shut up, Evelyn, and go inside.
“This ain’t for you to see.” He took three steps closer to the curb.
“That’s my sister.” She came off the porch.
“Is that right?”
“It is.” She nodded.
“Well, how about this then. Why don’t you go back inside your apartment …”
“It’s not my apartment.” She chuffed. “it’s my sister’s. I live over there.” Evie made a vague hand gesture.
Evie, please shut the hell up.
Officer Campbell turned and looked at me with a smile on his face as he spoke to my sister. “Evelyn. Go get a bag, broom, and dustpan for these gentlemen to clean up the mess.”
“Okie dokie.” She turned and went back inside.
I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and took another drag from my cigarette.
“Did you buy the beer for these kids?” The gruff voice went with the unknown officer.
I glanced at his name tag before answering. “No, Officer Garcia, I didn’t.”
“Where’d it come from?” He looked all around and pinned his gaze on me.
“I brought it over.” Cesare walked over to us. “She didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“And who bought it for you?”
Officer Campbell shook his head slightly. Going up against the Cordova family wasn’t smart.
“That’s for me to know.” Cesare crossed his arms over his chest. “But Miss Edith didn’t have anything to do with it.”
I glanced over my shoulder, wondering what was taking Evie so long.
Marco came over speaking in Italian like he was on speed. Cesare held up a hand, and he stopped.
“This was all me.” He looked between the cops. “Officer Campbell, do you need to call my dad?”
“How about we pour out what’s left and clean this mess up?”
“Yes, sir.” He nodded. “Marco and I will take care of that.”
My hands trembled as I reached into my pocket to get another cigarette. Things were calming down, and I felt like I could breathe again.
The door to the apartment building slammed again, drawing everyone’s attention. Evie smiled big and yelled.
“Paper or plastic, Officer?”
Fuck. I’m going to jail.
Officer Campbell turned away, but not before I saw him smile. Officer Garcia, however, was not amused by her.
“How about since this is your sister’s place you come on over here and hold the bags for these boys to clean up.”
“Can do!” She skipped over, put the paper bag into the plastic one, and handed Marco the broom.
I don’t know if I’m going to jail or not, but if I don’t? I’m going to kill my sister.