Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons
Page 83

“We married so young,” Violet sighed, hunching over the steering wheel. “We were babies. We hardly knew who we were let alone what we wanted in life.”
“What do you want in life?” I whispered.
She released a tiny sob with a laugh. “I don’t even know. I don’t know who I am anymore. I’m Mike’s wife and Ashley and Mikey’s mom, but who am I?”
I’d done so much soul-searching of my own the last couple of months, I couldn’t even imagine going through it with a family to worry about.
“Do you still love him? Does he love you?”
“I think I love him, but not like I used to. And he says he loves me, but I’m not who he married. Funny, he’s not who I married, but I’m still here.”
I was the first to admit she’d put Mike through hell. Her disapproval of Joe. Her flirting with Austin Kent. But still…
“He says it’s a break.” Her laugh was bitter. “But we both know what that means.”
“Do you think…?” I wasn’t sure how to ask without hurting her more. “Do you think there’s someone else?”
She pulled into my driveway and let the car idle. “What? No. Don’t be silly. It’s Mike we’re talkin’ about.”
Mike was a good-looking man and had been unhappy for at least a couple of months. An affair didn’t seem as preposterous as Violet made it out to be, but now didn’t seem like a good time to bring it up. “So what are you gonna do? Like…for a job?”
She rested her forehead on the steering wheel and groaned. “I don’t know. I didn’t go to college like you did.”
“I only went a semester and a half before Momma made me come home.”
Twisting her face, she peeked over the arm that gripped the steering wheel. “It’s more than I’ve got.”
“You’ll come up with something. What do you think you want to do?”
She sat up, her classic Violet determination etched into her face. The shadows from the fading sunlight made her look older. “I love flowers. You and I both do.”
“We can thank Daddy for that.”
Her hand lifted to her mouth and she bit her finger. “I’ve considered taking my half of Momma’s house money and using it to open my own flower business.”
“Oh.” Violet didn’t know the first thing about running a business and there was already a florist in town, even if they were snippy. “Well that might work…”
“I thought maybe you’d want to go into business with me.”
My mouth dropped open. “Oh.”
Her face lit up and her eyes radiated excitement. “I’ve been researching this for a bit. If we both put in money as collateral, we can get a small business loan. Did you know they give loans to women to start their own small businesses?”
“Violet, I don’t know…”
“I was thinking maybe we could open a nursery and we could figure out something to sell in the winter, like Christmas trees. Maybe have a gift shop with it.”
“Violet…”
The happiness left her eyes and she looked sadder than I’d ever seen her in my life. “Just think about it, okay? I can’t do this alone.”
“How long have you been considering all this?”
“A year.”
I froze in surprise. This had been going on longer than Momma’s murder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged, looking away. “Mike thought it was a silly idea and wouldn’t hear of it. I tried to tell him that the construction business could be partners with the nursery. But he told me it was flighty and frivolous, and my job was to take care of our children and the house.”
It made sense now, her desire—her need—to create the perfect house and the perfect children. “Violet, I’m so sorry. You are capable of doin’ whatever you put your mind to.”
Clasping my hands, she pulled me closer. “You don’t have to decide tonight but think about it, okay? You hate your job at the DMV. This could be good for both of us.”
How was I going to tell her I was moving to Little Rock? “I turned in my two-week notice yesterday.”
“You did? Why?”
“I’d had enough of Suzanne. You’re right. I hated that job.”
“So what do you plan to do?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet.” Technically, that was true.
“See?” she squealed, excited again. “It’s fate!” She pulled me into a hug. “You think about it tonight and we’ll talk more about it tomorrow after the probate meeting.”
I’d almost forgotten about the probate meeting with all the other craziness in my life. Which reminded me that I hadn’t asked Violet if I could stay at her house for the night.
Violet loosened her grip. “I have to go. When I get home, Mike and I are sortin’ out the details of his leaving.”
There was no way I could ask her now. “Do you need me to watch the kids?”
“Oh no. Mike’s mom is watching them.”
“Does she know what’s going on?”
Her face hardened. “Not yet. I’m gonna let Mike tell his parents.”
I was sure that wouldn’t go over well. “Okay. You take care of yourself and call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Violet.”