Trying not to show what I was thinking, I said, "Keep going."
"So," Chloe continued, "my dad tells Josh that he's not getting another thing to eat 'til he finishes what's on his plate, even though it looks like some fish threw up on it."
I could practically see it, and I didn't like the way it looked. I wasn't liking a lot of things that I was hearing. "What happened?" I asked. "Did he eat it?"
Chloe shook her head. "No. Josh just sits there, looking down at his plate, and my dad keeps hassling him, saying what a great cook Loretta is, and how lucky Josh is to be living under her roof. And the whole time, Loretta's just sitting there with this half-smile on her face, like everything is turning out exactly like she planned. And Josh, he doesn't eat anything else. Not one bite. And I can tell he wants to cry."
Chloe blew out a shaky breath and continued. "But he's in fourth grade. Or at least he was back then, so he's too big to cry. And he's too little to take on my dad, obviously, or Loretta for that matter. So he doesn't do anything but stare at his plate until everyone else is done."
"But what'dyoudo?" I asked. "You were there, so–"
"Yeah. I was there. And IknewI'd be smart to stay out of it."
Somehow, that didn't sound like Chloe. I knew her. Or at least, I thought I did. Trying to get a handle on everything, I asked, "Because you didn't need the trouble?"
She turned sideways in the seat to face me. Still holding the salad in a death grip, she said "No. Because I know better, or at least I should've. Because every time I try to help, I just make it worse."
"Is that what happened this time?"
"Oh yeah. Because stupid me, I couldn't just let it go. But doing the thing Iwantto do is completely out of the question."
"What was that?" I asked.
"Breaking that damn vase over her head."
I liked that thought. I liked it a lot. "Sounds good to me," I said.
"Yeah, but I don't want to make everything worse. So as nice as I could, I suggest letting Josh get a new plate. I say stuff like, 'I think we've all learned a good lesson here.'" She shook her head. "What a load of crap. Anyway, I get Josh to say he'll try some gravy on his potatoes if we can just start over."
"Sothat'swhat happened?"
"Hell no. Because by now, my dad's all worked up. He gives us this big lecture on how we don't appreciate how much Loretta's done for us. Then one thing leads to another, and I'm so stupid that I actually give an honest opinion on why Loretta made that stupid gravy in the first place."
"And what happened then?" I asked.
"Well, before I know it, Loretta takes Josh's plate and crashes it onto the floor, food and all. Then she goes after the serving dishes, the gravy boat, the chicken platter, a couple of wine glasses. It totally sucks, because everyone's freaking out. But part of me's thinking 'So what? At least Josh won't have to eat a bunch of fish barf.'"
She pushed a trembling hand through her hair. "And in the end, Loretta storms off to her room, and my dad gives us yet another lecture, this one about how we ruined Loretta's favorite holiday."
"Easter?"
"Supposedly. But they say that about every holiday, so I dunno. Talk-Like-a-Pirate-Day could be her favorite for all I know. Anyway, after my dad tells me to get the hell out, Josh is stuck dealing with the fallout."
Chloe looked down at her lap. "And as far as that gravy? Loretta made another batch, special just for him. And they wouldn't give him anything else to eat until the whole thing was gone. And they wouldn’t let him eat anyplace else either."
Chloe swallowed, hard. "And Iknewit was all my fault." Her voice was trembling now. "Because if I hadn't said something, it would've ended at dinner, one way or another. Swear to God, I'd have eaten that whole bowl myself if I could, but after I was kicked out, I wasn't allowed inside at all for at least a year."
What the fuck? All this time, I'd had Chloe pegged for a girl who grew up easy. Obviously, I'd been wrong – so wrong, in fact, that I added myownass to the list of things that needed kicking. She deserved so much better, and not only from her shitty parents.
Thinking of parents, it suddenly hit me that Chloe hadn't said a damn thing about her mom. Where the hell wasshein all this? I thought of my own mom, and knew the answer without asking. Obviously, she was off doing her own thing, leaving Chloe and Josh to fend for themselves.
"When you left," I said, "you couldn’t take Josh with you?"
Chloe shook her head. "I didn't have my own place, still don't. Besides, he's a minor. My dad has full custody, so, well, you know how that goes."
Ididknow how that went. Maybe in some ways, I'd been luckier. My dad was a no-show, and my mom had the decency to drop dead soon enough to keep from fucking things up further. I couldn’t help but wonder…if Chloe's dad happened to meet with some 'unfortunate accident,' would Chloe be able to get custody?
Thinkingfurtherahead, if we were together, wouldwebe able to get custody? Yes. We would. With my legal team, I was sure of it. Shit, we'd probably be able to get custody now, as long as we were married. I still had that ring, and there was still only one girl I wanted.
