Mama is not wholly happy with my tentative invitation to Lirika, but she doesn’t demand I withdraw it either. “She helped you come back to us, of course she’s welcome,” Mama says as we get ready for bed. “I’m just concerned about her drinking. I don’t want Bean influenced.”
“I’m concerned about it too,” I admit. “She’s struggling, Mama. She’s seen a lot of darkness and not enough light. If you want, I can ask her to keep her drinking behind closed doors. I suspect, though, that she only drinks when she can’t handle her memories.”
“Invite her,” Mama says. “We’ll find a way to make it work.” I step over to give Mama a hug.
She hugs me back and says, “Now, tell me about Bren.”
I startle. “What?”
“How is he? I assume you’ve had word of him.”
My cheeks warm. I kneel before my trunk and li
