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Tilly:Selena’s worried.
Vera smiles a little at that. So! Her xifu is worried about her, eh? That’s a sign of a good xifu, that is.
Vera:She worry too much. I will cook some winter melon soup for her, will stop her from worrying too much. Okay, I am with friends, stop doing the texting, very rude.
She watches as three dots appear, disappear, appear, and disappear next to Tilly’s name. Then, finally, Tilly says,Okay, ma, just be careful please.
Vera is in a good mood when they arrive at Julia’s. She expected Julia to be taken aback by TJ and Robin’s presence, butwhen Julia opens the door, all she says is, “Vera, hi! And these must be your latest victims. Ollie told me all about it.” Then, to TJ and Robin, she says, “It’s best to just let Vera do what she wants. Hi, I’m Julia, Vera’s last project, and this is Emma, my daughter.”
Vera rolls her eyes. See what she means about young people being overly dramatic?
TJ shakes Julia’s hand and introduces himself and Robin.
“I would invite you guys in, but I have to run to a photo shoot,” Julia says. “I’m so sorry. Thank you for taking Emma.” She hugs Emma before ushering her out of the house. “Listen to Grandma Vera, okay, sweetie?”
“Okay,” Emma says.
“Dinner at six,” Vera says. “If you are late, don’t complain that barbecue pork all gone.”
“I know,” Julia says. She kisses Vera on the cheek. “Oh, Vera. Never change.” Then she gives Emma one last hug and waves goodbye before climbing into her car.
Emma looks up at TJ and Robin. “It’s you again,” she says.
TJ gives her a weak smile. Vera needs to work on TJ’s facial expressions. Half the time, he looks like he’s about to burst into tears, and the rest of the time, he looks like he’s constipated. “Hey, Emma.”
“Hmm,” Emma says, taking Vera’s hand. “Grandma, are we spending the day with them?”
“Well,” Vera announces. “We are going to look for bra for your big sister Robin.”
TJ’s mouth falls open. Robin’s face turns red. Emma looks impassively at Robin. “What is a bra?”
“The question to ask is:Whyis a bra?” Vera says.
Emma nods thoughtfully.
“Uh,” Robin says, “do we have to? I don’t really…” She looks down at her feet, her face still bright red.
Vera’s heart twists. She has no idea what happened to Robin’s mother, and she hasn’t had a chance to corner TJ and bully him into telling her yet, but it’s clear to her that Robin is badly in need of a motherly figure in her life. “You don’t worry, Robin. Your baba will drop us off at fancy lingerie store and leave us privacy, so it’ll just be us girls.”
“Okay…” Robin mumbles.
“Uh, just how fancy are we talking here?” TJ says.
Vera shoots him a look. “What is price of daughter’s confidence?” Before TJ has a chance to answer, she points to the garage. “Get Emma’s car seat, is inside garage.”
And less than ten minutes later, they are off once again. They get to Macy’s, and Robin looks dubiously at it. “Macy’s?” she says.
“You a bit young for Agent Provocateur,” Vera says.
TJ makes a choking noise.
“Thank you, TJ, we see you back here in one hour.”
As Vera walks into the air-conditioned building holding Emma’s little hand and dragging Robin by the arm in the other, she feels a sudden swell of pure joy. Hasn’t this been what she has dreamed about for years and years? To be able to go shopping with her grandkids. Oh, what happiness. Almost better than solving a murd—no. Nothing is better than the shot of serotonin that comes with solving a murder. Well, maybe this comes close.
She locates the girls’ section and quickly identifies the most vulnerable salesperson and squawks at the poor woman until she comes hurrying back, her face hidden under a giant pile of training bras. Vera discards two-thirds of them with one quick glanceand sends Robin into the changing room with four potential bras. Then she waits patiently with Emma outside the changing room.
“Robin, I not getting any younger out here.”