I’m at the VA on Sepulveda.
What happened?
“I’m on my way,” Natalie said. “But Gia?” is everything ok? gia paige
The last time they’d spoken, Gia was standing in Natalie’s kitchen at 2 AM, mascara bleeding down her cheeks, insisting the man who’d just emptied their joint savings account was actually a producer who was going to get her a Netflix deal. When Natalie had gently suggested the credit card fraud department might disagree, Gia had thrown a wine glass against the wall. I’m at the VA on Sepulveda
Natalie almost laughed. Gia, who had once forgotten their mother’s funeral because she was “manifesting abundance” at a sound bath in Topanga, was now monitoring her Instagram inactivity. “But Gia
Natalie’s stomach dropped. The VA. Not a rooftop bar. Not a premiere after-party. The Veterans Affairs hospital. The place where their father had died of cirrhosis three years ago, alone, because Gia had been “networking.”
Natalie felt the familiar war ignite in her chest: the cold fury of the older sister who had parented her parent, versus the hollow ache of the little girl who used to hold Gia’s hand during thunderstorms.
