Gilda Joyce: The Bones of the Holy Read Online Free PDF Page A

stressed and weary following her shift at work.
    â€œI’m studying for a chemistry quiz. Hey, can you believe what I found in my room? This giant sparkly ring I used to wear back in fifth grade. I used to pretend it was a wedding ring.”
    â€œThat’s nice, honey.” Mrs. Joyce went into the kitchen.
    Gilda felt disappointed; her mother had scarcely noticed the ring. She watched through the kitchen doorway as her mother took out her chewing gum and dropped it into the wastebasket.
    â€œMom, how do your patients feel about the grape bubble gum? It must be kind of weird having a nurse who smells like a sixth grader.”
    â€œBelieve me, Gilda, there are far more noxious smells in that place than bubble gum.”
    Mrs. Joyce pulled a two-liter ginger ale from the refrigerator and then reached into the cabinet for her ibuprofen tablets, just as Gilda had predicted. “Gilda, I’m proud of you for studying hard, but you should get some sleep.”
    â€œIt’s hard to sleep when there’s a big secret weighing on your mind, you know?”
    Mrs. Joyce frowned. “What kind of secret, honey? Is there something we need to talk about?”
    â€œFunny—I was going to ask you that very same question.”
    A flash of anxiety crossed Mrs. Joyce’s face. “Gilda—I’m tired. What are you talking about?” She popped the ibuprofen tablets into her mouth and washed them down with a gulp of ginger ale.
    â€œI just wondered whether there are any highlights from your Florida adventure that you’d like to share.”
    Mrs. Joyce pursed her lips and eyed her daughter warily, feeling, as she often did, that living with Gilda was like living with an FBI agent. “I don’t follow, Gilda.”
    â€œI’ve heard that St. Augustine is supposed to be a very romantic city. . . . Some people even go there for their honeymoons .”
    â€œOkay, Gilda.” Mrs. Joyce sat down at the table. “I see you’ve been doing some snooping, so you might as well tell me what it is you think you’ve discovered.”
    â€œWell, I just happened to be in your bedroom—”
    â€œYou ‘happened’ to be in my bedroom?”
    â€œI was looking for a T-shirt you borrowed from me.”
    â€œWhat T-shirt?”
    â€œI don’t know. A T-shirt. Anyway, I accidentally happened to find a diamond ring in your bag. So I was just curious because it kind of looked like an engagement ring.”
    Mrs. Joyce sighed. “Gilda, you shouldn’t have been looking in my suitcase without my permission. This is not the way I wanted you to find out.”
    â€œOMIGOD, IT’S TRUE! I KNEW IT!”
    â€œShush! You’ll wake up Stephen.”
    â€œI hope I do wake him up. I should have bet him a million dollars you’re engaged; then he’d owe me for life.”
    â€œGilda, I met someone in St. Augustine. I mean—I’ve actually known him for a while. . . . We met online and had been exchanging e-mails for some time, and when I finally had a chance to go meet him, everything just clicked; it all happened so fast. And . . . yes. It looks like we’re planning to get married.”
    Gilda was stunned at her mother’s confession. It was the first time she had ever hoped that one of her hunches would turn out to be wrong. “But—”
    â€œI know how you feel about new people coming into the family—”
    â€œI’ve never had a problem with ‘new’ people, providing they’ve had a thorough background check. Which is definitely NOT the case here.”
    â€œGilda, Eugene has the most lovely home in Florida, right on the water. You’ll love St. Augustine; it’s such an interesting city—the oldest city in the whole United States! And there are beaches and lots of haunted houses and ghost tours . . .”
    â€œI’ve never cared about beaches, and—wait a minute. Did you