Ophelia slumped against Cy, sobbing as she stared out the window at the car growing more and more distant each second. She pressed her hand to the windowpane, as though to reach out and stop it, but it was useless.

“Lia, sweetie…” Cy murmured, trying to comfort Ophelia. She stroked the sobbing woman’s hair. Never before had she seen Ophelia so upset.

“I can’t believe it,” Ophelia gasped out between sobs. “She’s… she took Lisa. What does she know about raising a kid? She’s going to do more harm than good. Does she really think that she can trade the band for a kid?”

Cy shook her head and hugged Ophelia tightly. “Sometimes people just aren’t sensible or rational,” she whispered. “We’ll do what we can. I know you’re not going to let this go, and I know I won’t. We’ll get through this.”


Lisa stared out the car window at the large house before her. She had been sulking in the backseat for most of the trip, but now, her interest was piqued. “Hey, who lives there?” she asked.

“Lisa, sweetie,” Tacita said softly. “Lisa, this is where my parents live. Your grandparents. I thought they might like to meet you.”

Lisa shrugged and continued to stare at the house. Tacita opened the door, then went around and opened Lisa’s door. The pair walked up to the door, and Tacita rang the doorbell.

From within, they could hear a soft cry of “I’m coming!” Moments later, an older woman opened the door. She was slender and quite elegant-looking, wearing a beautiful designer dress. “Tacita!” she cried in surprise, embracing the younger woman.

“Mom, I thought I’d surprise you,” Tacita said, smiling. Indicating Lisa, she added, “This is Lisa, Mom. Your granddaughter. Lisa, this is Antoinette Foster Brown, your grandmother.”

“It’s good to finally get to see you, sweetheart,” Antoinette gushed, giving the child an affectionate hug. “Oh, look at you! You look so much like your mother at that age, except for the hair. Well, come on, let’s go on inside.”

Tacita and Lisa followed Antoinette into the house. Antoinette strode up the stairs and down a hallway. With a mischievous smile, she opened a door. “Lisa, this is your mom’s old bedroom,” she said. “Feel free to play with the toys. Your mom and I need to have a little talk.”

Lisa nodded eagerly, staring at the huge collection of toys, still in wonderful condition. Antoinette smiled at the child, then gave Tacita a stern look. Tacita sighed, and she followed her mother down to the living room.


Once they were in the living room, Antoinette turned to her daughter. “What is wrong with you?” she hissed, trying to avoid being overheard by Lisa.

“What do you mean?” Tacita asked.

“What do you think I mean?” Antoinette replied. “You dump that poor child off on your friends for most of her life, then decide you’re going to be a mother to her. You don’t know the first thing about raising kids. You can barely take care of yourself. I’ve heard about all your alcohol- and drug-fueled adventures.”

“Mom, I--”

“--Tacita, you’ve got to let that kid be raised by the people who know what they’re doing. You couldn’t even keep your goldfish alive when you were young. And you remember that egg baby thing? And the flour baby thing?”

“Smashed playing catch, and dropped it in the pool,” Tacita replied dully. Then, more emotionally, she added, “But, Mom, there’s a big difference between that and a living kid. She’s smart, she’s not going to be much trouble.”

“You were a smart kid, and you got into all sorts of trouble. Still do. Do you even know who that child’s father is, Tacita?”

“Of course I do. I refuse to let him have any part in her life. He might be an even worse parent than I could potentially be. The guy won‘t let up on wanting to see her.”

“Or he could be a better parent. At least he wants to be a part of his daughter’s life. That’s more than I can say for you.”

“That’s why I’m trying to take care of her now!” Tacita cried out. “So I can be a part of her life.”

“Is that all there is? Really?” Antoinette asked. She rummaged through a desk nearby and picked out a newspaper clipping. “Your band mate, the one raising Lisa… she seems pretty popular.”

Tacita glared at Antoinette. Antoinette ignored her and continued, “If you’re trying to get at Ophelia through Lisa, you’re being a pretty horrible person. Ophelia has been a good mother to Lisa so far. And because of one little incident, you decide to take her away from someone who actually does care about her well-being. You really need to decide just how important this little vendetta of yours is, Tacita. Getting your own daughter involved… that’s just cruel.”