Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

When Gracie’s turn came, she took her model to the front of the room.

She wasn’t a confident speaker, and I could tell how nervous she was. We hadn’t talked in months, but I silently wished her well.

“Miss Fisher?” Joska said.

“What was the inspiration for your sculptures?” she asked with a gotcha smirk.

“Inspiration? It’s a museum. It needs art. So a friend made them for me.”

“You mean”—melodramatic pause for manufactured surprise—“they aren’t your own work?”

“I just said they weren’t.”

“Whose are they?” Joska asked.

“She made them for me.”

“So,” Gracie accused, “you’re trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own?”

“I just told you, no.” I felt a rising tide of annoyance and outright hostility. “Weren’t you listening?”

“Did you make the cars on yours?” I shot back. “They look like Hot Wheels. Are you trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own?”

“That’s enough,” Joska said.

“Just so,” he agreed.

“Or are we just going to quibble over components?”

I felt guilty for downplaying Christy’s sculptures, but I was trying to make a point.

“Mr. DeFeo,” Joska scolded, “professional language, please.”

Wren had three exams on Friday and Trip had two. The University actually had a rule that students weren’t required to take more than two exams in a single day, but Wren hadn’t made a fuss about it.

By a quirk of scheduling, Christy and I didn’t have any, so we went to the grocery store and bought ingredients for dinner. I nearly freaked out when I saw how much fresh tuna steaks cost, but it made me appreciate how Wren turned the grocery money into so many gourmet meals.

Christy was in a good mood as we shopped. She danced through the aisles and filled our basket with more than we really needed. She didn’t seem to care how much things cost. For all her other talents—art, dance, music, languages—she didn’t pay attention to numbers at all, whether they were

money, time, or basic math.

Back at home we were chopping vegetables in the kitchen when we heard Wren at the front door.

Christy brandished a stalk of broccoli. “Surprise! We’re cooking dinner.”

“Oh, thank God,” Wren said tiredly. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“You want some wine?” Christy said.