Tara Langer joined the Crain family two years before they moved into Hill House, her mother and Olivia Crain had been best friends their entire lives so when Lucy Langer passed away from breast cancer and without a father in the picture, the Crain's...
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"You're not serious." Leigh laughed as the five of them sat around the dinner table.
"I am. I am" Joey replied with a grin, "They'll hang a toy phone around your neck and you have to wear it all day, maybe longer."
Steve took a swig of his drink as he silently listened to the conversation and Tara tried to smile through the story but she felt a little uncomfortable with this woman being in her home.
"Like a child's toy phone?" Leigh questioned in astonishment.
"Yes, it's like The Scarlet Letter for violating the phone rule." Joey continued, laughing along, "Improper use of a phone. They catch you, you wear the phone, like 'Let this be a chilling example to the others'."
"You...You can't make calls in the first 30 days unless a caseworker signs off, so..." Luke explained to the other three at the table as he picked at his food. He seemed to notice that Tara was uncomfortable so he reached his arm around her chair and gently rubbed her back.
"Well, that's a little harsh, isn't it?" Leigh frowned.
"It's not as harsh as an overdose," Joey replied bluntly.
"I mean, addicts," Luke said through a mouthful of food, "we're...we're pretty slippery in early recovery. That's why they confiscate our cell phones, you know, in case someone was to call a connection."
"Yeah." Joey agreed.
"What if you want to call your mom?" Leigh asked curiously.
"For some folks in there, their connection is their mom." Joey remarked, "Truly."
"It's true," Luke spoke through another mouthful of food and the three began laughing again while Tara and Steve sat there silently. The two shared a look. They both seemed to be uncomfortable with the woman Luke had brought home.
"So, Luke tells me you're a writer," Joey said, after a moment, turning to Steve.
"He did?" Steve questioned with a smirk, "I'm surprised he mentioned it."
"Where do you get your ideas from?" she asked.
He waited until he had swallowed his food before answering, "I write about haunted houses, mostly, and haunted people. I'm afraid there's no shortage of them."
"Must run in the family." Joey commented, "I mean, Luke's a great writer, too."
"Yeah?" Steve questioned in surprise.
"Yeah."
"No, I'm not." Luke shook his head and chuckled playing with the ends of Tara's hair.
"Stop selling yourself short." Joey laughed, "He's really talented. You should show them the one about the short story with the imaginary little friend in the garden. The one... Do you know that one?" She asked the three of them.
