October 11, Sunday

Three faces crowded the screen, squeezed together on the living room couch with Elaine in the middle. My sister had her reading glasses pushed up into her hair.

"Hi, everybody," I said. "How is everyone?"

"Good, actually." Lily was actually smiling. Her hair was freshly curled, and she kept tucking one side behind her ear and letting it fall again. "Scott asked me to homecoming."

"Sweetheart, that's wonderful!"

"Only because Ariana turned him down," Josh said. "Everybody's saying so."

Lily punched him in the shoulder. He yelped and grabbed his arm.

"Hands to yourselves," Elaine said, planting a palm on each of their knees like a crossing guard halting traffic. "Lily and I are going dress shopping tomorrow. Somebody has to make sure she doesn't come home with something that belongs in a music video."

"Aunt Elaine!"

"That sounds like so much fun," I said, and meant it, even as a small ache lodged beneath my ribs. I'd been picturing that shopping trip since Lily was in kindergarten.

"Josh, how's soccer?"

He examined his fingernails and said nothing.

"He skipped yesterday's game," Lily said.

"It doesn't matter," Josh mumbled. "Coach wouldn't have put me in anyway."

"And now he has an excuse not to put you in the next game," I chided.

He lifted one shoulder and let it drop. "It's not as fun when nobody's watching."

The words went in like a splinter. "Honey, I'm sorry I'm missing your games. But I'm there in spirit. Every one."

Josh looked unconvinced.

Elaine forced a great big smile. "Okay, you two. Say goodbye to your mom. I want to talk to her for a minute."

"About us, no doubt," Lily said. She unfolded herself from the couch and drifted out of frame without a backward glance. Josh followed, silent as a cat.

Neither of them said goodbye.

I waited until I heard a door close. "How bad is it?"

Elaine considered the question longer than I liked. "Everyone's bumping along."

"That's hardly a ringing endorsement."

"It's what I've got."

"And Heidi?"

My sister's face puckered. "She calls Tucker 'the animal,' and she complains nonstop."

"Be nice," I said. "I need Warren in that house. If Heidi's the price, so be it."

"Enough about them. How are you? Lily told me about the social media thing."

"It's fine. It's been handled."

"She said two policemen came to the house to talk to her." Her eyebrows climbed slowly, meaningfully. "Was one of them Mr. Hunky Guy?"

My gaze bounced, all on its own, to the corner where Deputy Wells stood with his hands folded in front of him. His expression didn't change, not really. But one corner of his mouth tipped upward, the smallest fraction of an inch.

I pushed my tongue into my cheek. "Elaine. Change the subject, please."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, honey. You don't have to say a word. Your face says it all."

"Goodbye, Elaine."

"Love you! Tell Mr.—"

I ended the call before she could finish.

Deputy Wells walked me back to my room as usual. The hallway was quiet except for the ice machine humming around the corner, and I could still feel warmth lingering in my cheeks.

At my door, I cleared my throat. "My sister has an overactive imagination."

He seemed to consider that. "I like the way she thinks."

Then he gave me a single nod and continued down the hall, leaving me standing there with my key card in my hand and no idea what to do with my face.  ~

Come back tomorrow for another episode of JURY WOMAN! If you'd like to read ALL of October's episodes, click here to get the JURY WOMAN, part 4 of 6 e-novella exclusively from Amazon!