Graceless (Grace Notes #2)

“Great,” Cassidy gave a sarcastic smile as if Savannah had just offered to gift her a bag of garbage, rather than unconditional accommodation in a beautiful home.

“Do your…our parents know you’re here?”

“Did you forget the part where I’m an adult now?”

“So, no then?”

“No.”

“Are you going to tell them?”

“No. Are you?”

Savannah considered her.

“They’ll want to know you’re safe.”

“Will they?”

“Well, you were living at home with them, right?”

“Keeping tabs, were you? Wow, you’re awesome.”

Brynn was lost. Cassidy was going out of her way to be rude, and Savannah was accepting every punch. Savannah was a lot of things, but a pushover was adamantly not one of them.

As far as Brynn understood their history, Savannah had grown up in a conservative family who also lived well below the poverty line. They’d rejected her when they’d realised she was queer, kicking her out on her own as a seventeen-year-old, leaving her to fend for herself. And yet as soon as Savannah had the means, she’d financially supported her family – despite their ongoing estrangement – buying them a nice house and ensuring no one went hungry again. But instead of responding with gratitude, this kid was acting like Savannah was her sworn enemy. Brynn’s own family relationships could be complicated, ‌but this was a whole other level.

“Alright, kid,” Brynn interrupted. “This is not what I meant when I said to go easy on her.”

Suddenly, two sets of blue-gray eyes were giving her identical dirty looks.

“I’m not fragile,” her wife said flatly.

“I’m not a kid,” her sister-in-law denied simultaneously.

“Wow.” Brynn held up her hands in surrender. “That’s uncanny.”

“What is?” Savannah gave her a blank look.

“Nothing! It’s just, it’s kind of like you’re multiplying.” Brynn looked from one to the other.

“We don’t look anything like each other.” Cassidy looked offended. “We’re not even full sisters. I look like my dad.”

“Sure, if he’s blonde and pretty and looks exactly like Savannah.” Brynn shrugged.

“Hilarious,” Cassidy shot back. “You’re so funny.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Savannah seemed to recover herself, just a touch. “Here’s how this is going to go: you can stay here as long as you need to, but you can contain the attitude around my wife and family, and everyone else who lives or works here. Got that?” Her voice was strong again and the hint of steel in her eyes perfectly evident. Cassidy looked mutinous, but eventually she nodded.

Annabelle popped her head in, curiosity barely hidden in her gaze.

“Can I offer you some sweet tea?” she asked. Cassidy nodded adamantly, then caught Savannah’s eyes.

“Thank you, that would be nice,” she said quietly. Annabelle assessed her a moment longer.

“And something to eat?”

“Yes, please. If it’s not too much trouble.”