Chapter 18 ~ December 24 Tumbling DownFreda was of the generation that had their hair styled weekly, always polished and put together, even if the outing was just to the grocery store. Today, Kenna was having her hair done, too, and she hoped Freda would offer to pay since her credit card was perilously close to its limit.
They were due at the salon at 9:30. It was already past 8:30, and Freda wasn’t up yet, which wasn’t like her. Unless there was a party—when Freda could hang on through the wee hours and then sleep the day away with the best of them—she had always, piously, been up by 6:30, no matter what. Kenna poured a little rye in her coffee and popped half an oxy. She tapped her nails on her cup.
Come on you old bat. We’re gonna be late.
The clock on the mantel chimed the hour. It
