20

SOONER THAN I THOUGHT

That night, Daisy came into my room and sat in one of her yoga poses on the floor. “So tell me.”

“Everything? It’s a lot.”

“Everything.”

After I’d rattled off the whole story, Daisy shook her head as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “And after all that, you still want to go to her house?”

“She apologized, D. And she was crying,” I said in Roxanne’s defense. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

Daisy got up and sat close beside me on the bed. “I am,” she said. “Really.”

I can’t say why at that moment I wondered if Daisy knew the truth about the accident, but I suppose that’s why it’s called wondering, because it kind of comes unexpectedly, the same way curiosity does. “Did you know Mom was driving when they had the accident?” I asked.

“Yeah, I knew.”

“But did you know that Mom made a—”

Daisy finished the question for me. “A U-turn?”

“Yeah, a U-turn.”

Daisy nodded.

“How come you never told me?”

Daisy shrugged. “Seemed like it might weird you out.” She paused, then asked, “Did it?”

I picked nervously at my fingernails. “Yeah, it did.” And that was when I cried.

Daisy hugged my shoulder and nuzzled me. “Try not to think about that stuff, V. Try to think about having a good time in LA, promise . . . promets?”

I leaned into my sister’s shoulder. “Okay, promise.”

• • •

Once Daisy was gone, I pulled out my notebook of Places Violet Diamond Will Travel to Someday.

After Los Angeles, California, which I’d written in months ago, I added: And sooner than I thought. Then I numbered 1–7 for seven days.

Places I’d like to go to while I’m in Los Angeles, California, with Roxanne Diamond, also known as RC, also known as Grandma, or maybe even Kamaria.

  1. Disneyland, of course
  2. Universal Studios, possibly
  3. Santa Monica Beach, I think
  4. Hollywood, definitely
  5. Malibu
  6. ?
  7. ?

Because I figured there were places other than the ones I’d thought up where she’d want to take me, I left two days with question marks. I closed my notebook and climbed into bed. I was really tired, and lucky for me, I nodded off fast.