Chapter 135

Candace turned another page of the old photo album she’d pulled from a bookshelf in the living room and exclaimed again, laughing out loud at the picture of her and Michelle, ages twelve and ten, fighting in the backyard over the sprinkler on a hot day. She remembered that day, one of the few times she’d gotten the better of her younger sister. Grandad had taken the picture from the back steps moments before Candace wrested control of the weapon and chased Michelle all over the yard, soaking them both and beating the heat at the same time. Afterward, they’d come inside to freshly baked oatmeal cookies and lemonade with mint from Gran’s garden. After growing up with Tricia for a mom, it had been like moving from an inner-city war zone into an episode of Father Knows Best.

Okay, she was exaggerating. Michelle would certainly say so, too, but Candace couldn’t quite forgive their mother for her neglect, or at very least, her complete lack of understanding about anyone’s needs but