“How much clearer do I have to make it for you, dear?”
“Um. Is everyone out of the assisted living place or just you?” Juno asks.
“I guess the termites like me because it’s only me.”
Juno shakes her head and narrows her eyes at me. “Sav, I need a word.” Juno leaves the doorway.
“Be right back.”
“I’ll unpack,” Grandma Dori says, so I lift a suitcase onto the bed for her.
By the time I get to the kitchen, Juno’s pacing. “She can’t live here. This is all because you were going to live here. She’s ambushing me so you’ll continue to live with Liam.”
I nod. “Pretty much.”
“This is your problem. Tell her you’ll go back to Liam’s.”
I shake my head.
“Sav?”
“I’m not going back to Liam’s. I can take the couch. If I’m miserable, so are you.”
Juno huffs. “Why?”
I can’t even answer. Other times, I would’ve crumbled. Admitted defeat to Grandma Dori and said I’ll stick it out at Liam’s until my contractor fixes my house. But I’m a little pissed that none of my family cares that Liam was right last night. None of them took the time to examine what he said and see if there was any truth to it. No one said, “Oh yeah, Savannah used to want to have a few drinks, skydive, and travel the world. She didn’t want to be pseudo mom and run a company at the age of nineteen. I guess I see what Liam’s talking about.”
Rather than explaining all that, I say, “Misery loves company.”
I snag my purse and bag off her chair.
“Savannah?”
I ignore her and dip my head into Kingston’s room where Grandma is staring at a strip of condoms as if she’s never seen one before. “Bye, Grandma. I’ll let you get settled in.”
“Bye, dear. I’ll see you in the morning. Juno will drive me to the office while I’m staying here since I go in later than you.”
I look back at an obviously displeased Juno. “Perfect.”
“Savannah…”
There’s an extra bit of annoyance to Juno’s tone, but I wave goodbye. “See you later.”
“Savannah!”
I shut the door and stop on the other side.
For what feels like the first time in years, I really smile.