Spring Broke

by Melody Carlson

  “Huh?” Megan hung up her wet jacket and just stared at Kendall. Had she lost her mind?

  “You and Lelani have tricked me, Megan. You have betrayed me.”

  “How?” Was Kendall going to rake them over the coals for walking out on her yesterday? Hadn’t they already been there, done that?

  “You two are going to Maui without me!” Then Kendall burst into tears, snatched up her little dog and ran up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

  Ten

  Lelani

  “Who told her about Maui?” Lelani asked after Megan had informed her of Kendall’s tantrum. They were making spaghetti for dinner, thinking they might help to calm Kendall down about not being invited.

  “I don’t know who spilled the beans,” said Megan. “But it sure wasn’t me.”

  “It wasn’t me.”

  “I don’t see why she’s so mad. It’s not like she could even afford to go anyway. She doesn’t have enough credit left on all her cards together to buy a ticket.”

  “Speaking of tickets.” Lelani paused from washing lettuce. “Did you call the travel agent today?”

  Megan sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry.” Then she told Lelani that she was still trying to get time off. “Cynthia promised to call me tomorrow afternoon, but maybe you should go ahead and book your flight now.”

  “Not without you.” Lelani put the lettuce in the salad spinner and gave it a fast whirl. “I just don’t think I can do it alone.”

  “What about Gil?”

  “I considered Gil, Megan. But I don’t think my parents would take me seriously if it looked like I’d brought home my latest boyfriend. You know?”

  Megan nodded. “Well, I’m actually thinking about quitting my job.”

  “Because of this?”

  “No, not just this. I really want to find a teaching job. And it’s probably time to start applying.”

  “But to give up your job before you have something else? I mean even if you did get a teaching job, it probably wouldn’t start until fall, right?”

  “Probably.”

  “Well, please, don’t give up your job to go to Maui, Megan. That’d be crazy.”

  “And, please, don’t give up going to Maui because of me.”

  “Let’s not worry about it.” Lelani returned to making the salad. “I think it’ll all work out just how it’s supposed to.”

  “Well, I’ve been praying about it.”

  “Praying about what?” asked Anna as she joined them in the kitchen. “Hey, this looks like dinner, what’s the occasion?”

  “Maybe it’s to welcome you back,” said Lelani.

  “Yeah, we did miss you.”

  “Not everyone did.” Anna frowned.

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning you should see the upstairs bathroom. It’s a disaster area that smells like a kennel. Even the medicine cabinet mirror is broken. What went on here anyway?”

  “Not much,” Megan said as she opened a jar of Ragú. “Same old same old.”

  So Lelani quietly explained how Kendall hadn’t been too helpful and how they’d gotten into an argument, finally leaving Kendall to her own devices in preparing for her so-called garage sale.

  “Like it’s going to happen.” Anna scowled. “The whole house still looks like a garbage heap. And for nothing. Does this mean we all have to drag all this crud back to the attic now?”

  “Maybe not,” said Megan. “My mom still plans to come and help Kendall.”

  “I’m afraid it will take more than just your mother to help her.” Anna shook her head in a dismal way. “That girl is a piece of work.”

  “But she’s our piece of work,” teased Lelani.

  “And be warned,” added Megan, “she’s really mad now.”

  “Any special reason?”

  Lelani glanced uncomfortably at Megan, then answered. “Actually, there is a reason. You see, I’ve decided to go to Maui for spring break, and I invited Megan.”

  “Cool,” said Anna. Then a shadow crossed her face. “Did you invite anyone else?”

  “You mean like Gil?”

  “Maybe.”

  “No. I did not. I don’t think my parents would appreciate it.”

  “Yours aren’t the only ones.”

  “But Gil knows I’m going and he’s very supportive of the whole thing.”

  “Wow, Maui sounds good right now. Did you see that rain?” Anna peered out the kitchen window to where the street was turning into one giant puddle.

  “We didn’t just see it,” said Megan, “we both walked home in it.”

  “You should’ve called for a ride.”

  “So is this where the party is?” asked Kendall as she came into the kitchen.

  Lelani smiled. “We’re making spaghetti and salad. Do you want to join us?”

  Kendall looked askance. “Oh, do you mean that I’m invited to join you? I thought maybe you were going to make a habit of excluding me from everything.”

  “Oh, Kendall,” said Anna. “Don’t get your nose out of joint. I’m not going either.”

  “And how does that make you feel?”

  “To be honest, slightly envious.” Anna made a face at Lelani. “Especially in light of today’s lousy weather. But I do understand.”

  “That’s big of you.” Kendall flipped her hair over her shoulder, then bent down to smell the spaghetti sauce. “I suppose this isn’t homemade.”

  Megan tossed Lelani an irritated look but fortunately didn’t say anything.

  “No, we working girls don’t really have time to do homemade sauces. Sorry.” Lelani glanced at the kitchen clock. “And if you’ll excuse me, I want to call my mom. This is the best time of day to get her since the baby naps now.”

  “The baby naps this late?” Kendall looked skeptical.

  “It’s earlier in Hawaii.” Megan turned to Lelani. “No problem. By the time you finish your call we should be about ready to eat.”

  “Thanks.”

  Lelani picked her way through the messy living room. Perhaps they should all offer to help Kendall get this junk back to the attic after dinner. No sense in letting it clutter up the whole house if she really didn’t want to hold her garage sale. Plus, it might help them to get along better if they weren’t living in such chaos.

  Lelani went into her room, closed her door, took out her cell phone, and sat on the bed. What was she going to say? She’d tried all sorts of opening lines in her head. But they all sounded forced and stiff and suspicious. Maybe the best plan was to not have a plan. She pushed the numbers and waited for the phone to ring. She could imagine her mother, looking down at the phone, waiting for the caller ID to identify Lelani, then deciding whether to answer. But if Emma was napping, she might answer simply to stop the ringing. So when she picked up on the second ring, Lelani knew that Emma must be asleep.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Lelani?”

  “How are you doing?”

  “Okay. How are you?”

  “I’m doing well, Mom. Thanks.”

  “Good, good.”

  “How is Daddy?”

  “He’s doing fine. Busy with the shops.”

  “And baby Emma? How is she?”

  “She’s a little fussy just now. I think she’s teething again.”

  “Oh.” Lelani tried to imagine the tiny newborn Emma that she remembered now with teeth.

  “How is your job?”

  “It’s okay.”

  “And the weather? How is the weather?”

  “Pretty lousy.” Lelani described the cold, wet rain.

  “Oh.”

  “How about the weather there?”

  “There’s a breeze today. A
few clouds. Mid-seventies.”

  Lelani sighed with longing. “Sounds nice.” And now there was a long pause, and before her mother could say, “I’m very busy and I need to get back to …” whatever it was she did to keep so busy, Lelani went for it. “I want to come home, Mom.”

  “Why?” Her mother’s voice sounded alarmed now.

  “Just for a visit.”

  “Oh.”

  “I have the week of spring break off and I wanted to see you.”

  “Which week is that?”

  “The third week of March.”

  “Less than two weeks from now?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Oh.”

  “I just really miss Maui. And I miss you too, Mom. And Dad.” Lelani was careful not to add Emma to the list. That would raise suspicions.

  “Oh.”

  “And if you don’t mind, I’m bringing a friend.”

  “A friend?”

  “One of my housemates, Mom. Her name is Megan. I think you’ll like her.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m sure I would like her. But it’s just that this isn’t the best timing for us, Lelani.”

  “Why not?”

  “Oh, you know … spring break … your dad is so busy.”

  “But he could take time off. He has lots of employees.”

  “I know, but he—”

  “Why don’t you just be honest, Mom?” Lelani couldn’t believe she’d just said that. But since she started, she was determined to finish. “You don’t really want me to come home, do you?”

  “Well, that’s not—”

  “You’d be happy to never see me again, wouldn’t you?”

  “Oh, Lelani.”

  “I know it’s true. You’re ashamed of me. You’ve replaced me with Emma. You probably even tell people that she’s your baby, don’t you?”

  “Lelani!”

  “But I’m still your daughter too.” Lelani was starting to cry now. “And your husband, he’s still my daddy. And I-I have a right to come home—if-if I want to. I mean it’s a free country and unless you’ve taken some kind of legal action against me, I am free to come and go to and from Maui if I want to.”

  “You’re upset, Lelani.” Her mother’s voice was calm and cold. “Maybe you should call back when you’re not so emotional.”

  “I just wanted you to know.” Lelani sniffed as she attempted to steady her feelings. “I just wanted you to know that I am coming. And I’m bringing my friend Megan with me. And if we’re not welcome in your house, we will simply camp on the beach. Maybe my father will take pity on me and throw us some food.” Then Lelani hung up.

  Oh, she knew she was acting childish. But that’s how her mother made her feel. Like she was just a child. An unwanted child. It wasn’t the first time that Lelani had been cut by her mother’s words. And it probably wouldn’t be the last, either. Lelani threw herself down on her bed and sobbed.

  She must’ve fallen asleep, because she woke to the sound of someone tapping on her door. Then Megan called, “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” Lelani sat up and blinked at the light. “I think I fell asleep. Come in.”

  Megan came in and then frowned to see Lelani. “You’ve been crying.”

  Lelani filled her in on the conversation. “It feels like she hates me, Megan. Like she wishes I’d died during childbirth so that she and baby Emma and my father could all live happily ever after.”

  Megan sat on the bed and put an arm around Lelani’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Lelani. I don’t even know what to tell you. Except that it’s hard to imagine that any mother would really feel like that toward her child.”

  “It’s hard to imagine, but true.” Lelani took in a jagged breath. “Maybe I should just stay away … and forget about them … forever.”

  “What about your dad? I’m sure he still loves you.”

  “My mother influences him. And then there is baby Emma for him to pour his affection onto.”

  “Well, it’s up to you whether we go to Maui or not.” Megan paused. “But I think you need to go. Even if it’s just to give them both a piece of your mind and to part ways.”

  Lelani’s eyes filled with tears again.

  “But I really don’t think that’s what will happen. I really think something good will come of it. And you can resolve how you feel about Emma. Think about it, Lelani. You’ve sort of left Emma hanging in the balance. I mean you gave your parents guardianship, but you didn’t let them adopt her. They’re probably living in constant fear that you’ll take her away. And then they’ll lose you both.”

  Lelani considered this. “That could be true.”

  “It just seems that you need to go. You need to figure this thing out. We’ve all seen you being haunted by your past, Lelani. Maybe it’s time to face it.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Want to come to dinner now?”

  “Sure. Sorry I fell asleep. I meant to help.”

  “It’s okay. Kendall actually stepped in and set the table.”

  “So, she’s not mad anymore?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. But I do think she’s been lonely.”

  “Maybe we can have girls’ night in tonight,” suggested Lelani.

  “Yeah, I think Kendall would like that. Despite all her tantrums and complaining, I think she actually does like us. And I think she needs us too.”

  Lelani nodded. The truth was she needed her housemates too. Maybe even more than Kendall did. In fact, they were more like family to her than her own family. And following the conversation with her mother, it seemed that these girls would continue to be family for Lelani—whether or not she went home.

  Still, it seemed that Megan had hit the nail on the head when she said that Lelani needed to go home to face her parents, to express herself, and to once and for all resolve the situation with Emma. It wouldn’t be easy, but it needed to be done. It made sense. Perfect sense.

  Except for one thing. Of course, Megan wouldn’t get this because she had a great relationship with her own mom and she’d never actually met Lelani’s mom. So she had no idea what the beautiful Alana Porter was really like, what she was capable of, and what truly motivated her. No one really did. Not even Lelani’s father, who was devoted to his wife. Oh, he knew she had her faults, but he also knew how to overlook them. It was just better for everyone if he did. And like so many others, Will Porter remained under her spell.

  Few people knew what a force Alana Porter was. And that’s because most people never crossed her. Alana had learned early on to use her beauty, charms, and later her wealth to get her way. And she usually wielded her power so carefully and gracefully that no one really felt the sting of it. Or the chill. Everyone simply complied to her wishes, unaware that they’d been duped. Everyone except Lelani, that is. Even so, it took years before she fully grasped her mother’s rare talent, and perhaps that never would’ve happened if Lelani hadn’t gotten pregnant.

  But Megan was right. The time had come to get this thing out in the open. It wouldn’t be pleasant or easy, and if history was any indicator, Lelani would probably lose this battle too. At least she would fight. Anyway, she hoped she would.

  Eleven

  Anna

  “I suppose you heard that your brother is taking the week of spring break off,” Anna’s mother told her. She had called Anna at work to apologize. At first Anna wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or suspicious. Maybe both. Because, although her mother was calling to make sure that Anna was coming to her grandparents’ farewell dinner at the restaurant on Sunday night, she actually invited Edmond to come along with her. Anna had told her she’d get back to her on that.

  “Gil’s taking spring break off?” Anna frowned as she flipped through her e-mail box. Because she was multitask
ing at work, she didn’t feel guilty for having a conversation with her mother.

  “Yes. The whole week. This will be the first vacation he’s taken since he began doing books for us.”

  “So he’s going to Maui?”

  “Maui?”

  “Or wherever.” Anna saw an e-mail from a copy editor. “I need to get to work now.”

  “But what’s this about Maui, Anna? Are you saying that Gil is going to Maui with Lelani?”

  “No, I’m not saying anything. He’s probably going skiing. I hear spring skiing is good this year and—”

  “No, I think you’re right, mi’ja. I’ll bet he is going to Maui—with Lelani.” Now she began speaking in rapid Spanish and Anna had to cut her off.

  “I need to go now. Bye, Mama. And don’t worry so much.” Then Anna hung up and sighed. So when had this developed? The last she’d heard, Lelani had explicitly said that Gil was not going. Of course, Anna didn’t know for sure he was going. Really, he might just be doing something else to occupy his time while Lelani was gone. That had to be it.

  But when Anna got home from work and spotted Gil’s pickup in the driveway, she decided to get to the bottom of it.

  “Hey, Anna,” said Gil as he hopped out of his truck.

  “Hey,” she called back. “Did you know there’s a rumor going around that you’re going to Maui with Lelani?”

  He frowned. “Who told you that?”

  She made a face. “Let’s just say it slipped out.”

  “How?”

  “Okay, maybe it was my fault. Mom said you were taking the week of spring break off and I wasn’t really thinking and I asked about Maui.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, great.”

  “You mean you were going to keep your whereabouts a secret from your family?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “What then?”

  “I wasn’t going to tell them until I was on my way there.”

  “So you really are going with Lelani?”

  “Not exactly with her, Anna. I just happen to be going to Maui while she’s there.”

  “But I thought she—”

  “Here, this is how it went down.” He lowered his voice as if he thought someone in the house might be listening. “Lelani called me last night and she was pretty upset.”