“There isn’t. I haven’t talked to anyone—just Barbie, my parents, and my brother and sister. And I can’t imagine my family would give me away.” A sick feeling started in the pit of her stomach as she heard herself speak and realized that wasn’t really true. “Or...maybe they would.”

He looked surprised by this admission. “What do you mean?”

She hated talking about her family. She knew, in their own way, they meant well. They just looked at the world so differently—allowed what she’d term superstition to guide their actions—and Tia had always hungered for bigger and better things than living in such a small, religious community, where her beliefs were dictated by her parents. “They’re...disappointed and worried and angry,” she explained.

“Because...” he prompted.

“They didn’t want me to leave Iowa, didn’t agree with my choice to become an actress, didn’t believe I’d continue to be the kind of daughter they could be proud of.” Or they were afraid she’d succeed and prove them wrong. Her father definitely didn’t like to be wrong. “Sometimes I get the impression my sister might be sort of glad this happened.”

It was a difficult admission, and it elicited the response she’d expected. “You can’t be serious!”

Except she was. “She has five kids with a husband she doesn’t like all that much, and right now they’re living with my parents. For a while, my life must’ve looked pretty darn glamorous next to hers.”

“So she’s jealous.”

It was more complicated than that, of course, but she felt jealousy was a big part of it. “That’s all I can figure.”

“Have you two ever been close?”

She watched him add a splash of cream to his coffee. “Not really. We’re too different.”

The spoon clinked against the cup as he stirred. “How old were you when you left home?”

“I moved to LA as soon as I turned eighteen.”

His eyebrows slid up. “All by yourself?”

“I didn’t have any choice.”

“Did you know anyone in SoCal?”

“No. I just wanted to be an actress—and knew I’d suffocate if I didn’t escape right away.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a wife and mother.”

“Absolutely. I agree. I just...” How much should she tell him? Not everything, she decided. “I wanted to see the world. To break free and experience more than I would ever be able to there. But Rachel accused me of abandoning the family. And once I landed the movie part, she started telling everyone I thought I was too good for them. What she said caused a lot of damage and has made it that much harder for me to get along with our mother. Rachel’s always tried to drive a wedge between us.”