"Louise called and asked Norma to look after Percival."
"After all, Louise is still Norma's sister, and Percival is your own brother..."
I looked at these two—my in-laws who had wept and knelt before me after Norma and I got married, swearing that everything before had been their fault, promising they'd never contact Louise or Percival again, begging for my forgiveness.
Now I understood. They were cut from the same cloth as Norma.
I shook my head slightly and said words that completely betrayed what I felt inside.
"Percival is my brother and Norma's brother-in-law. It's only right that she picks him up."
The Pruitts praised me for being sensible and understanding, yet they made no move to leave.
I knew why. They couldn't tell whether I knew about the acceptance letters.
I made an excuse about going into town to buy medicine and left.
At the pharmacy, I searched every pocket and couldn't scrape together enough for a tube of burn ointment.
I was about to leave when I heard Percival's familiar voice from behind a curtain.
"Norma, it's just low blood sugar. You really didn't need to bring me to the clinic."
"You spend so much money on me all the time. Doesn't my brother have a problem with it?"