Live to Tell (Live to Tell #1)(41)

Funny, because she never wanted to become one of those women.

But you aren’t.

She might have the physical trademarks, but she’s different.

You just keep telling yourself that.

But it’s true! Marin is much kinder, and softer, and she lacks the overbearing sense of self-entitlement…

If you’re so different deep down inside, then why do you spend so much time with women like that?

Because they’re there.

It’s that simple. She doesn’t meet a vast assortment of women in her everyday life. Neighbors, private school moms, charity volunteers, political wives—they’re all of a certain ilk. 4B ilk.

Like she just told Heather—it goes with the territory.

“It’s campaign season,” Marin points out. “After the primary, and the election—”

“Garvey will be governor of New York State. Don’t think for one minute that your lives will settle down.”

“Sure they will. We’ll be living in Albany, remember?” she can’t resist pointing out, and waits for Heather to wrinkle her surgically perfect nose.

It doesn’t take long. “Don’t remind yourself. Or at least don’t remind me.”

Really, the snob factor is astounding—even to Marin, who’s been party to it for years now.

You’d think she’d just told Heather they’d be moving into a cardboard box on the Bowery instead of the New York State governor’s mansion.

Wait—do people even still live in cardboard boxes on the Bowery? Or has that neighborhood, too, been transformed, like so many Marin frequented in her brief bohemian past?

“I just think Garvey takes you and the girls for granted,” Heather informs her.

“He loves us more than anything,” Marin replies, shaking her head. Maybe she should have had wine tonight. She’s feeling more tightly wound by the second—in direct contrast to Heather, who dismissively waves a bare, salon-tanned arm.

“Nobody said Garvey doesn’t love you…but is that enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the look on your face when he said he had to head back early today. You were disappointed. And the girls were, too.”

“Garvey is an excellent father and husband, Heather.”

“I’m not a constituent, Marin. I’m your friend. You don’t have to feed me the party line. He’s already got my vote.”

Marin can’t help but laugh at that. “Heather, you co-chaired a Planned Parenthood fund-raiser. Garvey will have the right-to-life endorsement. I don’t believe for a minute that you’re going to vote for him.”

“Okay, okay, but he doesn’t need me. Thanks to the Spitzer fiasco, plenty of people are going to go for the family values ticket.”

“Let’s hope so.”

“Mom?”

She looks up to see someone standing on the stairs leading from the house.

For a split second, Marin isn’t sure whether it was even one of her own daughters’ voices, or which daughter it is. But only for a split second.

“What’s wrong, Annie?”

“You can’t believe how snotty Caroline is being.”

I bet I can, Marin thinks wearily. No surprise. Caroline has always been spoiled. It’s her own fault, as well as Garvey’s.

“What’s going on, Annie?”

As she listens to the latest account of Caroline’s misdeeds, she finds herself wishing Garvey were here to handle it for a change.

But the reality is, that wouldn’t necessarily help. Caroline is a true Daddy’s girl. And Annie—well, it’s not that Garvey is blatantly unfair to her.

But he treats her differently. There’s no denying it.

Perhaps the girls aren’t even aware of it, but Marin is.

Would things be different, she often wonders, if Annie had been born under different circumstances? Would Garvey love her more? Treat her more fairly?

Looking at her younger daughter, who looks so like Marin and nothing like a Quinn, Marin wishes he could find it in his heart to forgive her for something that isn’t her fault. Something she doesn’t even know she did.

But she didn’t do anything. It’s not about what she did. It’s what she is.

No.

It’s about what she isn’t.

The saving grace is that Annie herself doesn’t know the truth. They agreed never to tell her. What would be the point? It all worked out in the end, thanks to Garvey.

Who can blame him for the way he indulges Caroline?

Who can blame him for the flicker of regret Marin sees on his face every time he looks at Annie?

Who, indeed?

“I’ll take care of it,” Marin assures Annie, rising from the table and putting an arm around her youngest child’s shoulder.

I’ll take care of you. No matter what.

It’s a promise she made to Annie before she was even conceived—fiercely, fervently, perhaps suspecting the bitter disappointments that lay ahead.

But Garvey didn’t, try as she might to warn him.

He really believed everything was going to be okay.

And wasn’t it, in the end?

Didn’t he make it so?

Garvey Quinn is nothing if not a good father. No one would argue that.