"Fielding, Joy - Lost" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fielding Joy)

terrier Julia brought

with her when she'd moved back home just under a year ago, barking and
snapping at the air as he bounces along beside her.) "Heather, what in
God's name are you doing in there?" Julia banged on the bathroom door,
then banged on it a second time when no answer was forthcoming.

"Sounds like she's taking a shower," Cindy offered, regretting her
interference as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Julia glared at her mother from underneath a mop of ash blond hair,
painstakingly straightened every morning to obliterate even a hint of
its natural curl.

"Obviously." Cindy marveled that one word could contain so much venom,
convey so much disdain.

"I'm sure she'll be out in a minute."

"She's been in there for half an hour already. There'll be no hot
water left for me."

"There'll be plenty of hot water."

Julia banged her fist a third time against the bathroom door.

"Stop that, Julia. You'll break it if you're not careful."

"Oh, yeah, right. Like I could break the door." As if to prove her
point, she thumped it again.

"Julia ...."

"Mother...."

Stalemate, Cindy thought. As usual. The way it had been between the
two of them since Julia was two years old and had balked at wearing the
frilly white dress Cindy had bought her for her birthday, the stubborn
toddler refusing to attend her own party even after Cindy had conceded
defeat, told her she could wear whatever she liked.

Nineteen years had passed. Julia was twenty-one. Nothing had changed.
"Did you walk the dog?" Cindy asked now.

"And just when would I have done that?"

Cindy pretended not to notice the sarcasm in her daughter's voice.

"When you got up. Like you're supposed to."