Page 112 of Already Home

Violet shifted against the pillows that allowed her to situpright. “I have a body full of bruises and a broken heart. Want to trade?”

“Well, no.”

“Okay, then. What’s going on?”

Jenna sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m talking about my problems whenthat’s the last thing you want to hear.”

“Not true. I want to hear about your problems. We’refriends.”

Something Jenna appreciated. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome.” Violet studied her. “Now start at thebeginning. What happened?”

“I had a horrible fight with Ellington a couple of days ago.Part of me says he’s just like Aaron and part of me says it’s really my faultbut I’m trying to blame him. Then I hurt my mother.” Jenna drew in a breath.“Did she, ah, say anything about that to you?”

“No. And I couldn’t tell anything was wrong. Are you sure youaren’t imagining all this?”

“I don’t think so.” Jenna explained about Ellington dropping into welcome her home and how he’d called Serenity “your mother.”

“I went off on him,” Jenna admitted. “Everything kind ofexploded in my head. I’m dealing with a lot—getting to know another family,figuring out how I feel about them. He knows Serenity, so he’s totally on herside.”

“Do there have to be sides?” Violet asked.

Jenna got up and closed the bedroom door, then returned to herchair. “When I was in California, Serenity said she thought giving me to myparents had been a mistake. She implied I would have done much better with themor someone else.”

Violet’s gaze was steady. “That bothered you.”

“In multiple ways. I love my parents. Why can’t she respectthat? She’s the one who gave me up. Because of that I had a great life. I’m notsaying it wouldn’t have been as good with her and Tom, but that’s not whathappened. Now she’s back and I feel like she’s trying to force a level ofintimacy that we simply don’t have. That kind of a relationship can only growwith time.”

“Is that what you fought with Ellington about?”

“Sort of.” Their argument had been confusing, and she couldn’tremember exactly what each of them had said. “Earlier today Serenity called. Sheand Tom are coming back. They’re driving. Anyway, she said she missed me, and Isaid I missed her, as well. When I turned around, Mom was standing there.”

“Beth understands.”

“I’m not so sure,” Jenna said. “I believe she’s fine with allthis, in spirit, but not so much in reality. This has been hard on her.”

“It’s been hard on you, too.”

“Maybe. I don’t want her to think she’s losing me.”

“Beth knows better than that,” Violet reminded her. “She hasfaith in your relationship. No matter what, she’ll always be your mother.” Shepaused. “Are you afraid that you can’t have them both? That you’ll have tochoose?”

Jenna shifted in her chair. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’m notchoosing.”

“So you can love them both?”

Love Serenity? She supposed it was a possibility. That if theirrelationship progressed, her feelings would grow stronger. She wasn’t sure ifthat was okay or not.

“I want everyone to back off,” Jenna said, rather than answerthe question. “To give me more time. It doesn’t all have to happen today.”

“You could tell them that.”

“When they show up, yet again?” She shook her head. “I guess Ihave to.”

Talk about complications. She’d come home to lick her wounds.Instead she’d found a whole new life. Parts of it were great, but parts of itweren’t anything she expected.

“How pissed do you think Ellington is?” she asked.

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