Banger’s Ride(9)
“Hello.” Belle walked back to the stove and stirred the gravy.
“Hi. Are you still at work?” Holly greeted her.
Belle marked the day she’d met Holly as one of her luckier ones. They’d met at the strawberry festival on a warm, late-summer day six years before. Belle had been manning the school booth, selling homemade fruit pies and jams, when Holly had come up. They’d struck up a conversation, and discovered they shared an interest in cooking and entertaining. Holly had been new to the area, and was feeling lonely without her friends or family. Belle had invited her to join her cooking club, and from then on they’d been close. Holly was like the sister she never had.
“Yep, still at work. I’ve got a couple more hours to go. What’s up?”
“I’m calling you in plenty of time so you can let Emily know she has to stay with Ethan this Friday. You and I are going out for burgers. Darren has the graveyard shift, and I’m itching to go out to eat. He’s been so busy that all I do is sit at home. Boring! Anyway, no excuses. We’re hanging out on Friday night.”
Belle laughed, but her stomach constricted when she thought about asking Emily to stay with her brother. Sometimes she was fine with it, but most of the time she gave her a real attitude. Belle thought it was simpler to stay home than have a fight with her daughter. “I’ll see what Emily is up to. If she doesn’t have plans, then a nice dinner out sounds good.”
“You just tell her you need her to help out. Fuck, you never go out. You deserve to have some fun. Treat yourself.”
“I know. You’re right. If Emily can’t do it, I’ll see if Ethan can spend a few hours at Luke’s house. I’ll give Sarah a call.”
“That’s good. I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll pick you up on Friday at around seven, okay?”
“Sounds good. See you.”
Belle put her phone back in her backpack. Her friend was always looking out for her, trying to make sure she didn’t become too much of a homebody. If Holly didn’t drag her out once in a while, Belle would never go anywhere. She needed a day away from cooking and the kids.
As the five-o’clock crowd filed in, Belle dug in her heels, preparing for a long three hours until she could go home.
* * *
Pain surged up her calves as she entered the modest, three-bedroom bungalow she rented. She knew the children were used to a lot more space, but it was all Belle could afford on the money she made at Ruthie’s. She kicked off her shoes, welcoming the carpet’s softness on her aching feet.
The minute she walked into her pristine kitchen, she knew Emily had not begun dinner like Belle had asked her to. She opened the refrigerator and took out the chicken she’d breaded before she went to work earlier that day. She asked so little of her daughter, yet Emily still couldn’t manage to perform the simple task of making the salad and steaming the broccoli. After placing the vegetable in the steamer, she padded out to the family room. Ethan had come down while she was in the kitchen and his eyes were glued to the TV, his small hands gripping the game controller as he destroyed invaders who approached his village.
“Where’s your sister?”
Without glancing at his mom, he shrugged.
“Was she here when you got home from school?”
He shook his head. Belle left the room and climbed the stairs, knocking on her daughter’s bedroom door. No answer. She opened it, hoping to find her daughter sprawled out on her bed, her ear buds in, watching something silly on the computer. No such luck. Her daughter’s room was just as Emily left it in the morning before she went to school. With a heavy heart, Belle went to her room to change out of her uniform.
After Ethan had gone to bed, Belle, wine glass in hand, tried for the umpteenth time to call Emily, but it went to voicemail, just as it had the many times before. Anger and worry zigzagged through her body, and by the time it hit midnight, Belle had decided to call the police. But just as she was dialing, she heard the back door bang open. Hanging up the phone, Belle leapt up from the couch and rushed toward the kitchen to confront a very stoned Emily coming into the house.
“Where the hell have you been, and why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”
“What?” Emily stared at her with glassy eyes. “You called me?” She took out her phone and scrolled. “Damn. I guess I forgot to turn it back from vibrate after school. Sorry.” She brushed past her mom.
Belle gripped her arm. “No way is that good enough. Why didn’t you call to let me know where you were? I’ve been worried sick all night, and now you come home stoned off your ass?”