Before I could answer, a sugary voice drifted in from the doorway. "Homer, I'm here."
Then Ellie Fox walked in carrying a bag of fruit, hooking her arm through Homer's like it was the most natural thing in the world, pressing close enough that her body nearly molded to his.
This was Ellie, Homer's adopted sister.
Back when I was pregnant, he'd mentioned her. Said Ellie was a neighbor girl from his hometown, that it wasn't easy for her, coming to the city to work, so he tried to look out for her when he could.
I hadn't thought much of it then. I just took it as kindness.
Now, watching the two of them so cozy together, something jabbed at me like a needle.
Ellie beamed at me. "Rosie, I heard you had a girl, so I made a point of coming to see her."
"Congratulations, Rosie. She's only a girl, but she's still Fox blood."
"I'll come by often to help you with the baby, so you're not run ragged all on your own."
"Homer's busy at work, so I'll keep you company. That way you won't be bored out of your mind."
I said flatly, "No need. I have a nanny."
She didn't treat herself as an outsider at all. She smiled. "Nancy's fine with the baby, sure, but nobody's as attentive as family."
"Besides, Nancy's getting on in years. She can't be as quick on her feet as someone young."
As she spoke, she reached out to touch the baby's face. I turned my body and pulled the baby away.
Her hand froze in midair. She looked over at Homer, flustered, and her eyes reddened on the spot, as if she'd just suffered some terrible wrong.
Homer's brow snapped into a frown, his voice full of blame. "Rosemary, what are you doing? Ellie came out of kindness to see the baby, and this is how you act?"
I said coldly, "The perfume on her is too strong. It's not good for the baby."
Homer was clearly unhappy now. He barked at me, "I think this confinement's just gone to your head. Now nobody can do anything right in your eyes."
"Ellie, don't stoop to her level. She's just in a bad mood."
Ellie nodded meekly, right on cue. "It's fine, Homer. Rosie just gave birth, of course she's out of sorts. I understand."
"If it were me, my temper might be even worse!"
That perfectly understanding act made me look like a shrew throwing a fit over nothing.
Watching Homer shield another woman, I suddenly found the whole thing absurd.
This was the man I'd loved for three years. This was the man I'd insisted on marrying against my parents' wishes.
Back then my mother had said his family was complicated, his mother hard to get along with, and that he himself seemed unsteady. She told me to think it over.
I'd sworn up and down to her that Homer was good to me, that he had character, that he was dependable and driven, and that we were sure to be happy.
Looking back now, I'd been so stupid, so naive.
Holding my daughter, I felt the incision start to ache again, hot and stinging, but next to the ache in my chest, it hardly seemed worth mentioning.
Homer soothed Ellie with a couple of words, then turned and saw the look on my face. His tone softened a little. "Rose, don't read into it. Ellie and I are just like brother and sister."
"You rest up. I'll go see if Mom needs a hand out there."
Ellie went out after him, and just before she left, she shot me a smug little smile, her eyes full of challenge.
The door was left wide open. Their laughter carried in from outside, along with my mother-in-law's over-the-top praise. The place was positively lively.
As if I, the woman who'd just given birth, were the one who didn't belong in this house.
I drew a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.
Not long after, my mother-in-law came in with a sheet of paper in her hand, slapped it down on the table in front of me, and announced loudly, "This is Adrian's wedding list. Take a look."
I glanced down. Wedding money of a hundred and eighty-eight thousand, sixty thousand for the reception, thirty thousand for the honeymoon, plus this and that adding up to over two hundred thousand, every item spelled out in full.
My brow furrowed slightly. "What is this supposed to mean?"
She said it like she was owed. "You're the older sister-in-law. You won't chip in for Adrian's wedding? Nobody gets to hold that title for free."
