Thirty-Six and a Half Motives
Page 3

When we finished, everyone hugged me goodbye, but Violet stayed behind, casting an anxious glance to Neely Kate. “Do you think I could steal Rose for a bit? I can drop her off at your office.”
My best friend, fully aware of the turmoil in my relationship with my sister, gave me a questioning look.
I nodded, then dug the truck keys out of my purse. “You head on back to the office. I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Okay.” She looked reluctant but took the keys and left.
“Do you want to talk here?” I asked, scanning the mostly empty restaurant.
“Actually . . .” Violet glanced down at the floor for a moment before meeting my eyes. “I’d like to go somewhere else, if you don’t mind. Somewhere more private.”
That surprised me. “Okay.”
I followed her to her car, the booster seat and toddler car seat in the back reminding me that I hadn’t seen my niece and nephew in weeks. “How are Ashley and Mikey?”
A soft smile covered her face as she started the car. “They’re great.” She paused. “They miss you.”
“I miss them, too. I’m sorry I’ve been too busy to stop by. Are you going out this weekend? I could babysit.”
She slowly shook her head. “No. Me and Brody are done.”
“I won’t judge you, Violet.” Not after committing so many sins of my own. My sister had carried on an affair with the mayor of Henryetta for months before breaking up with my brother-in-law—only, she’d pretended the relationship had started after she and Mike split. Brody had gone back to his wife, but for a while, he and my sister had continued their affair, putting them both under fire from the citizens of Henryetta.
“I appreciate that,” she said softly. “I do deserve better, I think . . . despite everything I’ve done.”
“Me too. But maybe you just want to go out by yourself . . . or with your friends.”
“Thanks, but I want to spend as much time with the kids as I can.” She gave me a quick smile, then turned her gaze back to the road.
Violet had always been a doting mother, but something about the way she spoke about her children now set me on edge. It was clear she wanted to tell me something, and I was starting to dread the conversation. I looked at the road and realized that she was taking us to the Henryetta Park.
Not long after, she pulled into a parking space in the nearly vacant parking lot, then turned off the car and got out, leaving me to follow. Once I joined her, she led the way toward the splash area.
A lump filled my throat. Last June, I’d let go of my inhibitions by playing in the water with my then-four-year-old niece—and I’d dragged Violet in with me. That seemed like ages ago now. Far longer than eight months.
She didn’t stop until we reached the benches on the opposite side, overlooking the play area. It looked sad and desolate with the dry spigots sticking out of the concrete and twisted metal poles.
We sat down, and my heart beat like a scared rabbit’s while I waited for Violet to speak.
She took a deep breath, then turned to me with a sad smile. “I’m sick.”
Fear crept down my spine and spread through my limbs. “Okay,” I said, forcing a matter-of-fact tone. “Have you seen the doctor?”
“Several.” She looked down for several seconds before glancing up and staring across the play area. “I have something called lymphoma, and the doctors say I need to go to Texas for treatment.”
I struggled to keep my composure. I’d known about the doctor’s appointments, but I wasn’t prepared for this. “Why can’t you have your treatment done here? Or in Little Rock?”
“They say it’s too advanced. That my best chance is at MD Anderson.” She clasped her hands together, squeezing so tightly I worried she would break her fingers. “But I need to ask a favor.”
“Anything,” I said, choking a little on the lump in my throat. “Do you want me to come? Do you want me to take the kids? Just tell me.”
She finally turned and looked at me, a soft smile on her face. “I love you, Rose. Even if you say no.”
“Why would I say no?” I protested. “You haven’t even asked me yet.”
She pushed out a sigh, then shifted her gaze back to the fountains. “Remember when we came here last summer? And you dragged me out to play in the water with you and the kids?” She paused. “I was so scared. Aunt Bessie had just told us that Momma wasn’t your mother, and I was sure I was going to lose you.”
“I know we’ve had our differences, Vi. But we’re sisters.” My laugh sounded small and scared to my own ears. “We’re supposed to fight. We’re stuck with each other. That’s the beauty of family.”
“But you found your own life after that, and I was so happy for you, even if I was jealous.” Her admission was no surprise. She’d confessed the same thing months ago.
She shifted on the bench, turning to face me. “You were still a girl when Momma died, but you’ve grown into a beautiful woman, inside and out. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. Strong and independent. I hope Ashley grows up to be just like you. Will you make sure that happens?”
The blood rushed from my head. “Violet, you’re scaring me. What did the doctors say?”
“Lymphoma is cancer, Rose. And it’s bad. It’s in my bone marrow. I have to have chemo and a bone marrow transplant, and even then . . . well, it might not work out.”
I stuffed down my rising hysteria. Violet needed me to be strong. “But there’s a chance, right? That’s why you’re going there?”
“Yeah, but I have to find a bone marrow match.”
“Oh.” The realization of what she was about to ask hit me, followed closely by a new terror.
“The chance of you being a match isn’t the greatest since Dora was your mother, but . . .”
“Violet, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She grabbed my hands. “Don’t tell me no yet. Please? I didn’t want to ask, but the chance of finding a match in the national donor list is so small.” For the first time, she started to cry. “Ashley and Mikey . . . they need their mother.”
“Violet,” I choked out, tears stinging my eyes. “Stop. Of course I’ll be tested.” I squeezed her hand back as hard as I could. “But there’s something you need to know. Something I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet.”