Page 83 of Shameless

Tiffany’s ensemble manages to be inappropriate and gaudy at the same time. In her head money means showing off your wealth. No one can get through to her that being ostentatious is the opposite of classy; it screams nouveau rich and will always make the people she wants to impress look at her with condescension, keeping her outside the circles she yearns to be welcomed into.

“Now that they’ve inherited some money, you should get one of your friends to buy you some diamonds, Talulah.” Tiffany gives me a once over. “If your style has to be so understated, at least you need some bling. Show that you belong in here and you aren’t the help. Of course that’s if they don’t go down for killing their father, and lose their inheritance.”

I hate the way Tiffany always manages to make me feel inadequate, no matter the circumstances.

I should ignore her. I know I should. But if I can turn a blind eye to the way she talks to me, I can’t tolerate what she’s implying about Crew and Stefan. “They haven’t done anything wrong, Mom,” I bite out, knowing how much she hates when I call her mom. “Besides, I think you’re showing enough bling for the entire family. One more diamond and the sheriff is going to stop investigating the murders and look into your international travel.”

She attempts to frown but her forehead remains smoother than a baby’s butt. “Why?”

“Oh you know, just in case the British Royal family is missing some of their Crown Jewels.”

I expect some kind of retaliation for talking back to her.

When I was a small child, she’d strike me in front of everyone if I dared contradict her or talk back to her. The last time she hit me, I remember Dad was so livid he left the party with her, asking Arianna to look after me.

I almost brace myself for being slapped across the face. The fury in Tiffany’s dark eyes and the way she’s clenching her fists at her sides tell me that she’s trying to keep her temper under control.

Her mouth moves in a strange way, I think she’s trying to smirk. “That’s funny. Howard actually inherited a tiara from his late mother, but this venue isn’t elegant enough for me to wear it. It’s priceless enough that he keeps it at his bank. I married into American royalty after all. But you shouldn’t concern yourself about me, Talulah. If you want to keep the interest of an eligible man, remember to watch what you eat. Fat girls don’t marry well.”

Stefan intervenes. “What are you talking about? Lula is perfect, if anything she could stand to gain a few pounds. But her weight doesn’t matter to the people who love her. I would marry her whether she weighed ninety pounds, two hundred or five hundred pounds.”

Tiffany’s laugh is laced with cruelty. “That makes sense since you were a fat kid. Remind me Stefan, when did things become romantic between you and my daughter? I bet it was this summer, after you grew by a foot and turned all those extra pounds into muscle. That proves my point.”

Dad shakes his head. “Tiffany, when I invited you to have dinner with us, I was hoping you and Lula could get along at least for one night. Maybe even bury the hatchet. Between boarding school and all the stuff that happened last year, you two have barely spent any time together.”

Tiffany is one of those people who would die rather than admit she’s in the wrong. “Forgive me for trying to give our daughter a decent education and for making sure she surrounds herself with the right kind of people. Her recentproblemsare the result of years of your lax parenting. Kids need discipline and you obviously have always been too busy fucking my former best friend behind my back to help me raise her.”

I brace myself for Dad’s response but our conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the rest of our party. Jules is holding Jenna’s hand, Tilly and Arianna are with them.

Jenna is back in the frilly dress she arrived in and, judging by her pout, she isn’t happy about it.

“What a pretty little dress you have on,” Tiffany smiles, putting an end to her spat with Dad. “I’ve seen a similar one in a magazine, a real princess was wearing it.”

That on Tiffany’s lips is a huge compliment, but it isn’t received with any enthusiasm.

“I don’t care!” Jenna stomps her foot, clad in a shiny, white Mary Jane shoe. “I want to swim.”

Jules crouches down to look his daughter in the eyes. “I know, munchkin. But it got too windy to go in the water and we need to have dinner. After that we’re going to watch the fireworks, it is going to be awesome, so many colors. I promise I’m going to take you swimming tomorrow. If the sea is still too choppy, we’ll swim in the pool.”

“No!” Jenna screams, tears appearing on the corners of her eyes. “You promise we swim now, Daddy! You promise!”

Jules catches some of Jenna’s tears with the pad of his thumb, his voice low and gentle. “I know baby girl. But it’s dinner time and your Grams asked the chef to make a mountain of fries just for you. There’s also cake. The sea will still be there tomorrow and I promise?—”

“No!” Jenna’s voice goes up a few decibels. “You promise now Daddy! We swim now! I’m not hungry. No!”

Jules picks his daughter up, soothing her with gentle back rubs as she cries in the crook of his neck. “She’s tired,” he says to no one in particular. “She’s been out in the sun all day, maybe I should have gotten a sitter and she should have been in bed by now. I just wanted to take her to see the fireworks.”

“What your daughter needs,” Tiffany bites out. “Is a good spanking. Children are tiny terrorists. Their tears are nothing but a manipulation tactic to get what they want when they hear the word no. As a parent, your duty is to teach them to be obedient. The second you say no, there should be no arguing, no crying and certainly no screaming. You might be too young to remember but when Lula had a temper tantrum like that, she would be slapped across the face and sent to bed without dinner.”

Yeah, I remember that. Dad would try to get me to calm down like Jules is doing with Jenna. Tiffany on the other hand had no patience and zero tolerance for anything that wasn’t total and immediate obedience.

I swear I wasn’t a spoiled or bratty child. Jenna isn’t either from what I’ve been able to observe today. She was just promised something and when she didn’t get it, she got upset.

The calm, affectionate way Jules is trying to explain to her why he couldn’t keep his promise makes me love him even more. I could see myself having children with him one day and raising them the same way Dad tried to do with me, despite Tiffany.

“I agree with you, Mrs. Turner,” Jasmine arrives at the table in a dark red dress that clings to her curves like a second skin, showing off her thin frame and her small baby bump. “Jules has always been too lenient. Jenna, quit crying right now. You’re embarrassing me.”

Jules immediately tenses up, tightening his hold on his daughter. “I’ve got this, Jaz. Give me a second.”

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