Page 25 of Touch the Sky

“Thank you.” All my breath whooshes out of me, my shoulders drooping with relief. “That was, uh, nice. Really nice.”

Even the thought ofMamanstuck driving and fighting through a crowd on one of her bad days is enough to make my stomach churn with guilt.

“She made the whole crowd move for us,”Mamansays. “I never would have seen you cut the ribbon if it weren’t for Tess.”

She’s smiling like the sun itself shines out of Tess’s butt, which would probably piss me off any other day, but today, it just makes me grateful.

Tess shrugs. “It was nothing.”

I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat that keeps me from telling her it’s notnothingto have my mom here to see the start of the biggest project of my life.

All I can manage is, “Thank you.”

“She showed up at the house just in time,”Mamanexplains. Then she jolts like she’s just remembered something and turns to speak to Tess. “Oh, didn’t you want to talk to Jacinthe,chérie? That’s why you stopped by, right?”

Tess shuffles her feet. “Oh, I—yeah.”

I tilt my head. “You want to talk to me?”

She glances around the room like she’s looking for an escape hatch.

“Uh, yeah. I do.”

I don’t know why the idea of her wanting to talk to me has those same weird electric zaps from earlier shooting up my arms and into my chest.

We stare at each other for a moment beforeMamancoughs.

“It’s about the back, right?” she says in a patient tone, like she’s explaining something to kindergarteners. “About renting?”

“It is, yes,” Tess says with a jerk of her chin. “Just some…questions.”

I raise an eyebrow, and Tess seems to realize how ominous that sounded.

“It’s no big deal,” she rushes to add. “I totally forgot the grand opening was today. Uh, congratulations. This place looks amazing.”

Mamanclaps her hands in agreement.

“C’est magnifique! Oh, how sweet.La maquillage.”

She points across the room, and we all turn to watch as a little boy with his face painted to look like a puppy races across the lounge, his dad shouting for him to slow down.

As he gets closer, I can’t decide if he’s supposed to be a puppy or a cow.

That’s what I get for hiring one of my cousins and paying her with free food and some beer.

“We have some stuff set up for the kids,” I explain. “Face painting. Beanbag toss. I’m doing pony rides later this afternoon.”

“Where is your daughter, Tess?”Mamanasks. “She should be out here having some fun!”

“Shel is with my mom. She’s visiting us for a few days.”

That does not stop my mother.

“Invite them both!” she orders. “They’re only down in Saint-Jovite, right? Do they have a car?”

“Uh, yeah, my mom’s got hers.”

Mamanwags her finger at Tess. “You call them right now,ma belle. I want to see that little cutie again.”