“Oh.” Gwen blinks in confusion. “Okay.”
The conversation is strained as everyone finishes eating. Nobody speaks as Mimi brings cake to the table. I hope Zayne’s family somehow mistakes the awkward silence as us just stuffing our faces too full to speak, but I know it’s unlikely. I avert my gaze from everyone at the table, staring only at the remnants of food left on my plate.
When we’ve all tasted the cake, Mom stands from her seat, indicating it’s time to leave.
Mimi hops up. “Please, let me send you home with some leftovers!” She opens her kitchen cupboard and picks up the same takeout containers that I’ve seen at her restaurant.
Zayne stands too and helps his mom fill the boxes with food for us. I can’t help but smile when I see him scoop several slices of cake into a box.
Beau and Dad carry the boxes, and the Silvermans walk us to the door.
“Thank you so much for having us,” Mom says. “Dinner was delicious.”
How would you know?I almost say.You barely ate.
Mom retrieves the keys from her purse as Dad opens the door, but they slip from her hand and clank against the wood floor. She bends to pick them up, and a plastic bottle falls from the pocket of her cardigan, hitting the floor with a thud.
“Oh, sorry.” Her hand flies toward it, fingers curling it into her grasp.
Beau squints. “What is that?”
But she doesn’t answer, doesn’t meet any of our gazes as her fingers wrap around the bottle.
“Are those pills?” Beau demands, his voice increasing in volume. He lunges for the bottle, and we all stare, stunned into place, as he pries it from her hand.
“No, Beau! Stop it!” Mom shouts.
But as soon as he captures it, he reads in a booming voice, “Celia Silverman. Hydrocodone.” He drops his hand, still holding the pill bottle to his side.
Silence.
Deafening, unbearable silence, so heavy it could squash every person in this room.
And then Mom runs out the door.
“Stop!” Without a backward glance, I barrel through the front door after her. Behind me, Dad is on my heels and Beau remains shocked in place. Mom gets in the car with more haste than I knew she was capable of. I know I should probably hang back and explain to Zayne and his family, but the shame I feel in this moment is too intense.
I just want to disappear.
She relapsed. She actually relapsed, and Zayne and his family just witnessed it.
When I reach the car, I see Mom sitting in the passenger seat with her head down and her hand covering her eyes.
I wipe an angry tear from the corner of my eye and yank the driver’s side car door open. “Unbelievable,” I yell. “This—you—are unbelievable!” Dad touches my shoulder, but I ignore him.
Mom doesn’t react. She doesn’t budge from her position in her seat. She just keeps her eyes covered. If it weren’t for the trembling of her shoulders, I would think she didn’t even hear me.
“I defended you,” I continue. “I told Beau to shut up every time he so much as implied you weren’t ready to be here. I believed you when you said you were okay. And this is what you do?” I gesture to the crisp evening air around us. “You steal pills from Zayne’s house? You relapse onThanksgiving?”
Mom lowers her hands from her face. When she turns in my direction, the look in her eyes makes me clamp my jaw shut. In her gaze, I see the weight of her sorrow, regret, and pain. It’s heavier than anything I myself have experienced. Still, I stare back at her.
Beau finally makes it to the car. I risk a glance up at the Silvermans’ house, expecting to find the four of them still standing in the doorway, but the front door is closed.
A wave of tears threatens to invade my vision. I didn’t say goodbye to Zayne or apologize to his family. Worse yet, they probably don’t want to hear a word I have to say. I bet Zayne will text me tonight to let me know he can’t take me to the dance tomorrow after all, because what Mom did tonight was unforgivable.
Dad touches my back. “Let’s go home.”
I move out of the way so he can take his place behind the wheel and get in the back seat next to Beau. My gaze darts to my brother and a look of mutual understanding passes between us.Mom needs to go back.
