We fell into a short silence, but it wasn’t the awkward kind. Finally, Kass said, “Mom called me.”
My hand paused mid-tap.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She told me she talked to you. And she was…different. Like she’s trying.”
I exhaled slowly. “She says she’s trying.”
“I know.” Kass’s voice softened. “But I’ve decided to try too. I don’t want to hold on to that bitterness forever. It’s exhausting.”
Huh.
“She apologized to me,” Kass added. “A real one. First one I’ve ever gotten. I’m not saying things are perfect, or that they ever will be. But I’m working on it.”
I nodded again, staring down at my hands. “She told me she’s hosting Thanksgiving this year. And that she wants me and Carmen to come over so that she can apologize. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
Kass paused. “Are you okay, Theo?”
I gave a weak laugh. “I will be.”
I looked at the clock and realized it was time to pick up Carmen. “Look, Kass. I gotta handle something, alright? I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Tee,” she said bluntly. “Take care of yourself. Please.”
I scoffed. “Yeah. I will.”
?????
The silence in the car was dense.
She sat beside me, arms folded, head leaning against the window, eyes tracing the blur of the Italian countryside without really seeing it.
I kept my focus on the road.
I’d only glanced at her a few times—once when she sighed, once when she adjusted her seatbelt, and again when she brushed her hair behind her ear. I couldn’t tell if she’d been crying again. She didn’t look at me long enough for me to find out.
Still.
She was quiet.
So was I.
My hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel before I finally spoke.
“You okay?”
It was a stupid question to ask, but still an important one.
She nodded, barely turning her head. “Yes. I’m fine.”
Liar.
I didn’t push back, though.
“I—” I cleared my throat, eyes on the road again. “I paid off your credit card. Deposited some money into your savings, too.”
“You didn’t have—”
