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They narrow their eyes at each other.
“You know,” Winifred says, “Paris is very beautiful this time of year.”
“Oh, you’ve been?” Vera says.
“No. But it's something people say, isn't it? I always want to go,” Winifred says.
“It would be nice,” Vera says. There is a moment of silence as the two of them consider it, then Vera says, “Aiya, cannot afford it. So expensive.”
Selena and Tilly share a look with each other, then Tilly clears his throat. “Ma? If you want to go to Paris, I’ll pay for it. You deserve a vacation.”
Vera gapes at him. “I can’t. Who run shop while I’m gone? I am pillar of community. Everyone fall apart if I leave.” She pointedly ignores Winifred, who is rolling her eyes aggressively.
“I think we can manage for a bit,” Oliver says.
“Just for a bit,” Aimes says. “Then, you’re right, we will start to fall apart.”
For the first time, Vera is at a loss for words. “But I just start my PI business. I am expecting client anytime now.”
“You know,” Selena says, “murders do happen in Paris too.”
“Oh yes,” Winifred says happily, “big city everywhere will have plenty of murder. We will have such fun there, Vera.”
Vera nods slowly.
“Grandma, you won’t be a private investigator,” Robin says, “you’ll be a détective privé.”
“See?” Winifred says. “Everything sound better in French.”
Détective privé. Vera does like the sound of that. She looks around her with suspicion. “Are you all trying to get rid of me?”
There are immediate shouts of “Never!” but she catches what sounds suspiciously like “Only for a little while” being murmured from Selena’s direction.
Vera harrumphs. She leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her tea.Goodness me, traveling at her age. Then again, if not now, when else? She looks up at her new sign once more, then says, “I hope you are not lying about murders in Paris. I will be quite disappoint if it turn out there is nothing to do there.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll manage to run into a dead body or two there,” Selena says.
Winifred squeals. “A girls trip to Paris!”
“With murder,” Robin says. “Can I go too?”
“No,” TJ says immediately.
“When you graduate high school I take you,” Vera says. “But, yes, for now, just me and Winifred.” She finishes the last of her tea and smiles. “I think we are going to have all the fun.”Yes, she thinks, and the French will most definitely find her a treat, she is sure ofit.