"MaryJanice Davidson - Sleeping with the Fishes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davidson Mary Janice)

ears. Because Moon Bimm was referring to the cardinal tattooed on her left butt cheek. Other
mothers had laugh lines and wrinkles. Not animal tattoos.
She rested her forehead on her hands, her blue hair brushing the table. She stared at the kelp-
colored strands and thought, That's it. I'm running away for sure. Again. Twenty-nine-year-olds
run away all the time. It's perfectly normal. It'sтАФ
"Why," she muttered, "did you call me over in the first place?" And why didn't I come yesterday,
when she actually called?
"Oh, that. WellтАж" Her mother fluttered about the kitchen, strands of the couch blanket making
her look like a freaked out caterpillar. "We believeтАФyour father and I believeтАФthat is, Sam and I
believe in full disclosure."
"So I see," Fred sniffed, eyeing the blanket.
"Lies and deception, they're a bad trip, honey. A baaaaтАФ"
"You want to talk bad trips? Cast your mind back, Mom. Your acid-fried mind. Remember ten
minutes ago?"
Moon Bimm ignored her daughter's sarcasm; she'd had almost three decades of practice. "Lies and

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Davidson, MaryJanice - Sleeping with the Fishes


deception, baby. They can make you physically ill. There's science to back this up, hon, People
get ulcers and high blood pressure, just from keeping secrets! AndтАФ"
"Mom. Will you cut to it, please? I have to go home and Clorox my eyeballs."
"We're going to adopt."
Fred kept staring at her hands.
"Hon? Did you hear me?"
"If you're adopting, why are you fucking?"
"Language," her father said, squirming on the chair and groping for the bag of peas.
Moon "children should be allowed to express themselves however they wish" Bimm focused on
the sentiment, not the verbiage. "So lovemaking is only for procreation?"
"When it's your mother and your father, yes, love-making is only for procreation!" Fred screamed.
She longed to toss the kitchen table through the dining room hutch. "I have seen some dark and
wicked things, Mom and Dad, take it from meтАФyou would not believe what lurks in the oceans'
deep. I have seen a shark barf out another shark and then eat it again. But nothing I've seen was as
bad as my mother and fatherтАФ"
"Except I'm not your father," her father said.
"тАФas my mother and fatherтАФuhтАФdoing dark and wicked things in the ocean. What?"
"Full disclosure," her mother said, dramatically swooping about the kitchen, blanket flapping.
"All this paperwork we have to fill out for the adoption, it got me thinking. And it's time you
knew the truth. Sam Bimm isn't your biological father."
"Yeah, Mom. I know."
Her mom sat down across from her and took Fred's cold (they were always cold) hands in her
warm ones.
Even now, Fred took comfort from her mother's touch: how many times had those hands tucked
her in, held her, rubbed her back? Her mom was like a walking, talking, jasmine-scented electric
blanket.
"I know it'll take some getting used to," she said with touching earnestness. "And I'm sorry you
had to live with the lie."
"Mom. I know Sam isn't my father."
"And I'm so sorry I kept it from you!" Moon's hands plunged into her blonde hair and made fists;