Page 56 of The Distiller's Darling

“Thank you.”

Judith Klein traced the strands of barley that were freeing the caged heart with one gentle finger, and then looked up at her daughter. “Has he seen it?” No need to ask which he she meant.

Naomi shook her head.

“Are you going to show it to him?”

“Probably not.”

“Naomi—”

“What good would it do, Mom? This was never meant to be permanent. I don’t do relationships, remember?”

“People change, Naomi.” Her mother glanced over at the sculpture. “Given the right incentive.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s leaving.”

“Leaving the country, or leaving you?”

“Is there a difference?”

“Ireland isn’t that far,” her mother said. “Lots to do there.”

“Do I seem like the sort of woman who would chase a man across an ocean?”

Her mother looked her up and down, then smiled slowly. “No. My daughter is the sort of woman men cross an ocean to find.”

Naomi felt tears welling up. Again. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Well, if he can’t recognize how wonderful you are, it’s his problem,” her mother said firmly.

Naomi sighed. “He’s been great, Mom. I’m the one who screwed it up. I freaked out about the idea of using my personal connections to help him, and I didn’t even talk to him about it.”

“Why?”

“Honestly, at this point, I don’t even know.” She shook her head. “I feel like an idiot. Do you know, if we hadn’t been sleeping together, I wouldn’t have thought twice about calling Luis for him?”

Her mother’s eyebrows shot up. “The sex made a difference? Must have been good sex.”

“Mom. I am not taking this conversation in that direction.”

Her mother shrugged. “Your loss. I told you I had a lot of fun in the seventies.”

“Ew.”

“So, why didn’t you help him?”

“Because I knew Luis would tell you, and then it would be like when you shoved me into Andy Weinstein’s car when I was seventeen.”

“I never shoved you.”

“Mom, you literally closed the door on my foot.”

“Well, you were late.”

“Because I didn’t want to go, and you were so blinded by the idea of me magically falling in love with Doctor Weinstein’s son that you didn’t care about what I wanted. And you made sure nobody else did, either. All I heard about for weeks was what a cute couple we were, and how everyone was looking forward to our wedding. I was seventeen!”

Her mother winced. “I suppose our friends can be overly enthusiastic sometimes.”

---