I just thought I would be the one fighting for Leah.Danica could apologize while I would yell.And Danica could get out of this shit unscathed.But it looks like Danica plans to fight, too.
“Is she doing okay?”Danica asks.
“Leah?I don’t know.This was a lot.”
“More than a lot.One thing after another for her.”
That’s the truth.First Mick, then his murder, then Patrick.Sighing, I open the door and we step inside.
Mom and Dad are sitting at the dining room table.Dad’s wearing his usual plaid button-down shirt and jeans.Mom is in slacks and a dark-pink silk shirt—I think Aunt Milana gave her that shirt for Christmas.She’s wearing a shit-ton of eye make-up, too.I wonder if she, like Danica, has prepared for battle.
A plate of honey spice cookies rests at the center of the table, next to Mom’s antique Russian tea set.Interesting choice of weapons.
“Does anyone want tea?”There’s a familiar tightness in Mom’s voice.I heard this voice when I didn’t include Danica in video games with my friends.I heard it when I wrecked Mom’s car.I heard it when I thought I’d gotten my high school girlfriend pregnant—false alarm, thank fuck.
Lots of great memories associated with this tight, angry voice.
This is going to be a fucking fantastic evening.
Danica and I both decline tea.We don’t even take a cookie.Best to get this talk over with.
Dad accepts tea, traitor that he is.He’ll sit back and let Mom do most of the scolding.I catch his eye and he looks away.Coward.
Mom pours tea for him and for herself.
“Cookie?”Mom asks as she plates a couple of cookies for Dad.
“No, thanks,” I say.Pleasejust start talking.
Dad takes a sip of tea.“So, last night.A lot happened.A lot of feelings came up, and we should discuss them calmly.Because in the end, we all love each other.”
Danica clears her throat.I know what she’s thinking.We don’t love Patrick.
That’s not entirely true, though.Our love for him didn’t just poof away like car exhaust.It lingers in memories and shit like that.But the things he did to Leah are unforgivable.There’s no coming back.
“What it comes down to…” Mom taps her manicured nails on the table, looking thoughtful.It’s a ploy.She’s pretending that she’s thinking out what she’ll say, but I know she probably rehearsed it in her head for hours today.“What it comes down to is, your behavior in Salding shamed our family.Patrick made a mistake?—”
Danica opens her mouth to say something, but Mom cuts her off by holding up a hand.
“It was a devastating mistake.”Mom takes a deep breath.“I feel for Leah, I truly do.I look at her as another daughter.Which makes this even more of a family matter.The police shouldnothave been called.”
I understand why she’s saying this—she knows about Granddad’s true operations.When Danica called the police, it endangered the family.
But she isn’t telling Danica the whole truth.
“Granddad is very disappointed,” Mom says.“I know you were just trying to do the right thing.”
Dad nods in a way that tells me this washisline that he wanted Mom to say.
Mom goes on.“Aunt Milana is also extremely upset.This could have been resolved in the family, and now Patrick has that arrest on his record.”
“As heshould,” Danica says.“He’s a fuckingpredator.”
“He made a terrible mistake, and he was punished.”Mom’s voice is louder, her gray eyes flashing in warning.“In the meantime, an apology to your aunt and granddad wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Anapology?For doing the right thing?”
Mom looks from Danica to me.“An apology from both of you.”
