“Why?” Mamie asked, sounding irritated.

“It’s all your fault,” Patty said, aiming the complaint in Theo’s direction. “You got me all excited about Glory’s bathroom.”

“I’ll need your help,” Mamie told Theo, ignoring Patty’s comment. “We’ll need to move all of Indie’s things out of her bedroom and into the barn, including the bed. I would never ask Birdie to sleep on a twin sized mattress. I’ll call and get a queen set ordered.”

Theo understood immediately who the “we” was that Mamie referred to. “I’ll talk to Jordan about it,” she said. “We can get it done right away. Just let me know when the new bed will be delivered, and I’ll make sure to be there to let them in.”

The next half an hour was spent discussing how to accommodate Patty’s return to Whisper Creek. There were a surprising number of details that would need their attention, and by the time Mamie declared the room too hot and stuffy for her to concentrate any further and brought the visit to an abrupt end, Theo felt more than a little worn out.

“What was that all about?” Patty asked, irritated.

“You think she’s upset with you?” Theo looked up to see that one of Birdie’s eyebrows was raised.

“You’d think she’d be happier. Since that old woman hit me, Mamie’s had every excuse to boss people around even more than usual.”

Birdie shook her head. “I know you’re the queen, Cleopatra, but not everything is about you. If you’d pay attention to something other than yourself for fifteen seconds you might notice that your mother is going through menopause.”

“Has been for a while,” Theo said with a nod. “Those hot flashes look brutal.”

“Well, they’re not doing a thing for her personality, that’s for sure.”

Birdie took a deep breath. “You know what, Goldilocks?” she asked, looking over at Indigo. “I think it’s time we let your mom get some rest.”

“Okay,” Indigo replied, sliding off her chair. She took her empty cup and walked it across the room to the trash can.

“But I’m not tired,” Patty argued.

“Maybe not, but I’m exhausted. Besides, I have something special planned for physical therapy today. It’s probably best you get a little nap before we start.” She gave Patty a smile that was not returned. “It was good to see the two of you,” Birdie said, turning her attention back to Theo and Indigo. “I’m gonna excuse myself now. I’m sure I hear an extra potent cup of coffee calling my name.”

Birdie left the room and Theo helped Indigo put her coat on. She noticed that Patty was looking insolent, and she had to admit that she wasn’t sad to be going.

“I love you, Mama,” Indigo said, walking up to Patty’s bed. She reached her hand out and placed her palm gently on the bed next to her mother. Patty’s broken body had been wrapped in bandages, braces and casts for the last several months, and Indigo only touched her when told to in fear of hurting her.

Patty didn’t reach out to her. Instead she said, “Love you, too,” and blew half-hearted air kisses in her daughter’s direction.

“See you soon.” Indigo shouldered her bright green backpack and crossed the room.

“You’re just all kinds of helpful lately aren’t you, Theodora.” Patty’s voice was deep and full of frustration when she spoke.

Theo took hold of Indigo’s hand as they moved toward the door. She turned and glanced at Patty over her shoulder as they left. “Don’t worry, Pats,” she said, using a nickname from their childhood she hadn’t uttered in years. “No matter what happens, no matter what any of us are going through, no matter what either one of us says or does, you’ll always be the favorite. You can take solace in that.”

She closed the door behind them a little louder than she intended. She forced herself to take in a deep breath as she and Indigo walked down the corridor with the gray speckled tile gleaming beneath their feet.

Indigo would eat her lunch in the Jeep while they drove back toward town. It was a little backward, letting the child have a milkshake before her mid-day meal, but if any day was good for breaking the rules, it was Thursday. Their next stop was Doctor Gardner’s office for Indigo’s weekly therapy session. As the two of them walked hand in hand toward the exit, Theo thought—and not for the first time—how useful it might be to throw some liquor into that weekly hot fudge milkshake.

3. FAMILIAL CONTRACT

A week before Indigo Blue’s fourth birthday at the beginning of November, Ashley took a phone call at the office from a man named Fitzgerald Bloom. The man identified himself by saying he was the Murphy family attorney, and that he needed to speak to Theodora about an urgent personal matter. When he got Theo on the phone, he explained that Patty had contacted him about making Theo Indigo’s temporary guardian. Theo had worked on cases of all kinds, but she had oftentimes gravitated to those that had a basis in family law. She was well acquainted with the three types of guardian appointments, and she didn’t disagree with the fact that it made a lot of sense for her to become Indigo’s guardian, at least until Patty was able to fulfill her parental responsibilities again. She was also sure that, while Patty probably saw the logic behind appointing her sister guardianship that the idea had most likely come from either Mamie or, more likely, Glory.

When she told Mr. Bloom—who insisted she call him Fitz—that she herself was a lawyer, he chuckled and said, “and a very good one if what I’ve been told is correct”. From that statement, Theo concluded that it had been Glory who had apprised him of their unique situation. Even if Mamie believed her youngest daughter to be an accomplished attorney, she certainly wouldn’t share that opinion with anybody else. That had never been her way.

Before the call ended, Fitz informed her that he’d overnighted forms with Patty’s signature, and Theo assured him that she would also sign them and file a personal background check and a credit report. The Friday before Thanksgiving, the two of them stood together in front of a probate court judge, Theo representing herself and Fitz representing Patty. When they left the courthouse, Theo had been appointed Indigo’s legal guardian until the end of May unless Patty decided to extend it for a longer period of time. Theo had grown accustomed to the sting of barbs slung by her sister, but the comment about the two of them sharing Indigo was particularly irksome since Patty had been the one to draw up legal papers putting Indigo’s guardianship into Theo’s hands.

Because Theo was now Indigo’s guardian, she took an active role in the child’s weekly therapy sessions. At least twice a month, a conference call was conducted. The three of them would talk about Indigo’s progress. Patty and Theo would bring up any concerns they had, and a plan for the next session would be made. Theo didn’t sit in at every visit, but because Indigo was only four, the doctor asked her to stay more times than not. If Indigo seemed disinterested in talking with her therapist, Dr. Gardner would start a conversation with Theo and Indigo would usually jump in. It was a strategy employed by many childhood psychiatrists, and it usually worked well for Indigo.

“Hello, Indigo,” the doctor said as he and Theo sat down. Indigo moved toward the bookshelves on the other side of the room instead of finding her own chair.

“Hello.”

“How are you today?”

Indigo shrugged. She reached out and touched one of the books on the shelf, slowly dragging her finger across the row of spines. “Fine. My tummy is full.”

“Milkshakes,” Dr. Gardner said with a smile.

The man was in his early forties and had gotten degrees at both the University of Denver and the University of Colorado. He wore a wedding band, although Theo hadn’t done any research into his personal life so she didn’t actually know who he was married to or for how long. She had checked out his qualifications as a psychiatrist after Patty had decided to bring Indigo to his office. His hair was dark but highlighted by the sun. Theo guessed he might be a skier like many other Coloradoans, but she had no way of knowing for sure. Dr. Gardner wore gold rimmed glasses and had a short mustache and beard that was already graying ever so slightly. His demeanor was pleasant and easy going, but Theo always felt her own anxiety ratchet up a few notches every time she stepped into the man’s office.

“Did you know that every Thursday after you leave my office, I think about milkshakes?” He laughed. “What did you eat for lunch?”

“A sammich,” Indigo replied vaguely. It was clear that she wasn’t in the mood to talk. This didn’t dissuade Dr. Gardner.

“Did you see Mamie at the hospital?” he asked, looking at Theo.

Theo nodded. “We did. Birdie Sullivan, Patty’s physical therapist was there, too. We actually got news today.”

“Why don’t you tell me about that,” the doctor encouraged.

Theo glanced over at Indigo. The little girl had chosen a book and was studying the cover. It looked like she wasn’t paying attention to the adults, but Theo knew better.

“Patty is going to be discharged in a few weeks,” Theo said, looking back at the therapist.

“That’s terrific news,” Dr. Gardner smiled.

“It is,” Theo agreed. “She still has a lot of recovery ahead of her. They think she will have to go through more surgery, but Birdie is determined to help as much as she can.” Theo blinked, then her eyes wandered to the wall behind the doctor. There were framed diplomas arranged tastefully together. The sunlight coming through the window on the far side of the room glinted on some of the glass obscuring a bit of the neat and orderly lettering printed on the documents.

“What sort of arrangements have been made for Cleopatra’s return?”

Theo cleared her throat. “She’s actually going back to the Madeleine.” She kept her voice steady, hiding the fact that her chest tightened every time the hotel was brought up in Indigo’s presence.

“Interesting,” the doctor said. “Tell me how that will work.”

“Actually, Patty is going to move back into the bungalow.”

“Alone?”

Theo shook her head. “No. We’ve hired Birdie to be her live in therapist.”