PART 6
Wednesday Dinner Mom invited the entire family to dinner.
Correction.
She invited everyone except me.
I only found out because Ethan accidentally mentioned it.
“She didn’t invite us?”
He hesitated.
“She said… you needed time to reflect.”
Reflect.
As though I were a rebellious teenager.
Not the woman financing half her life.
I let it go.
Until 7:42 p.m.
My phone rang again.
This time it was Ethan.
“You should probably come.”
“What happened?”
“She’s telling people you’ve become unstable.”
I grabbed my keys.
Sophie stayed with my neighbor.
Fifteen minutes later I walked into the house I legally owned.
The dining room fell silent.
My aunt Linda stopped pouring wine.
Uncle Robert lowered his fork.
Mom looked annoyed.
“Well,” she said, “look who decided to join us.”
I remained standing.
“I heard I was unstable.”
Mom smiled tightly.
“We’re having a private family dinner.”
“I am family.”
She folded her napkin.
“You’ve certainly forgotten how to act like it.”
I looked around the table.
Then I asked one question.
“Did anyone here know Sophie went hungry all week?”
Confused faces.
Aunt Linda frowned.
“What?”
Mom interrupted immediately.
“Oh, don’t start exaggerating—”
“No,” I said calmly.
“Answer the question.”
Nobody answered because nobody knew.
I turned back to Mom.
“You told everyone I canceled your groceries.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell them why?”
She crossed her arms.
“It wasn’t relevant.”
I looked at my relatives.
“My daughter’s lunch account failed. She ate nothing at school for five days.”
Aunt Linda gasped.
Uncle Robert slowly put down his fork.
I continued.
“I called Mom because I was devastated.”
Everyone looked toward Margaret.
“She told me Sophie could take crackers.”
The room became painfully quiet.
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