Blue Smoke

here. And second, she could have chosen art school. She could have chosen Dad and art school. What she did was choose him, this place, this life.”
    Reena shifted her gaze now, studied her mother, slim and lovely with her hair slicked back in a shiny tail, laughing as she drilled a finger into her husband’s chest.
    “And when I look at her, Bella, I don’t see a woman with regrets, a woman who asks herself what if.”

    “Why can’t I be happy like that, Reena? Why can’t I just be happy?”
    “I don’t know. I’m sorry you’re not.”
    “I know you went to talk to Vince. Oh, don’t put the cop face on with me,” she said impatiently. “He was angry. But he was a little shaken up, too. Wouldn’t expect my little sister to get in his face. Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome. It was impulse. I couldn’t stop myself. I was afraid you might be irritated I waded in.”
    “I’m not. Even if it hadn’t changed a thing, I wouldn’t be irritated that you stood up for me. He’s cut things off with his current mistress. At least as far as I can tell. Maybe it’ll last, maybe it won’t.” She shrugged, looking back at her mother. “I’ll never be like Mama, part of that kind of team with a husband who adores everything about me. I’m never going to have that.”
    “You have beautiful children, Bella.”
    “I do,” she agreed, smiling a little. “I have beautiful children. And I think I’m pregnant again.”
    “You think—”
    But Bella shook her head quickly, cutting off the conversation as one of the kids ran to the table.
    “Mama! Can we have ice cream cones? Just one scoop. Nana said to ask you. Please, can we?”
    “Sure. Sure you can.” She brushed her son’s cheek. “Just one scoop. I love them so much,” she told Reena when he ran off to spread the good news. “I can’t talk about this now. Don’t say anything.” She popped to her feet. “Sophie! Come help me make the cones.”
    Bella swung into the building, with the younger kids whooping as they raced to follow. Sophia brought up the rear.
    Sulking, Reena noted, but obedient. And still young enough to secretly lust after a scoop of ice cream.
    “I don’t see why she needs me to help. It’s always me.”
    “Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Reena demanded. “You get put on the front line, who’s going to notice if you have two scoops instead of just one?”
    Sophia’s lips twitched. “Want one?”

    “There’s lemon gelato in there. What do you think?” Reena reached over, pinched Sophia’s cheek. “Be kind to your mother. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Just do it. Just twenty-four hours of kindness. I think she could use it.”
    She gave the cheek she’d pinched a kiss, then walked to her own mother. Bianca wrapped an arm around Reena’s waist. “You’re just in time. Your father has realized what was obvious. That I was right.”
    Reena watched, as her mother did, Bo, Gib, Larry and some of the others as they walked to the corner of the building. Bo gestured with the spray paint, got a shrug from Gib, and began to spray a gently serpentine line on the grass.
    “What’s he doing?” Reena asked.
    “Laying out the idea for my walkway from the corner. People will be able to stroll around from the sidewalk out front and come right back to my pergola. Maybe they don’t want to walk through the restaurant like they have to now if they want an outside table. Maybe they’re out for a walk, hear the music—”
    “Music?”
    “I’m putting in speakers. There’ll be music when we have the pergola. And lights along the path. And big pots of flowers.” She slapped her hands on her hips as she circled around, the gesture of a satisfied woman who knows how to take charge. “Ornamental trees. Lemon trees. And in the back corner there. A little play area so the children won’t be bored. And—”
    “Mama.” With a laugh, Reena tapped her hands to her own temples. “My head’s spinning.”
    “It’s a good plan.”
    “Yes, it’s a good plan. A big one.”
    “I like big.” She smiled as Bo began to gesture, tick points of some sort off on his fingers while Gib frowned. “I like your Bo. We had fun today. I brought tears to cousin Sal’s eyes, so that was fun, and Bo bought me a hydrangea.”
    “He . . . he bought you a bush?”
    “And planted it for me. Either you marry him or I adopt him, because I’m not letting him get away.”

    The kids came running out with ice-cream cones, Gina and her mother