Page 62 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
“Paula, just drop it,” Dad says tiredly.
Another uncomfortable silence falls. Jake clears his throat. “These rolls are amazing, Mrs. Kelley.”
“Thank you, Jake,” my mother says stiffly.
The conversation limps along through the main course, everyone working overtime to keep things light. By the timemy mother stands to clear the plates for dessert, we are all exhausted from the effort of pretending everything is normal.
“Will you girls help me with the pies, please?” My mother asks Hailey and Millie.
“Of course,” Millie says, both of them jumping up to follow my mother into the kitchen.
With them gone, the table collectively exhales. My father turns to me. “You holding up okay, son?”
“Fine,” I say, though it’s far from the truth.
“This is excruciating,” Lauren mutters, leaning toward me. “Mom’s like a volcano about to blow.”
“She’s not the only one,” I reply, my voice low.
Rhonda, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents, launches into a story about the church Christmas pageant. I tune her out, counting the minutes until I can reasonably leave.
My mother and the girl’s return bearing my mother’s pecan pie and the apple pie Rhonda and Millie brought, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg filling the dining room. As the plates are distributed, I notice Millie has positioned herself to serve me, her fingers deliberately brushing mine as she hands me my dessert.
“I know how much you love apple pie,” she says softly.
“Thanks,” I mumble, not meeting her eyes.
My mother takes her seat again, her composure apparently restored. She takes a delicate bite of pie, then sets her fork down with exaggerated care. “Adam,” she says, her voice casual in a way that immediately puts me on alert, “I’ve been meaning to ask about your grandmother’s ring. Caitlin didn’t take it with her, did she? It is a family heirloom after all.”
The table goes silent. Lauren shoots me a warning look.
“She left it behind when she went,” I say carefully.
My mother nods, a strange expression crossing her face. “Well, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she hadn’t.”
I set my fork down, my appetite vanishing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, dear,” she says, but her tone suggests otherwise. “It’s just that, well, given her background, parents who abandoned her, all those years drifting around with no proper home or purpose, one couldn’t be certain about her sense of… propriety.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I ask, feeling my face heat and my heart start to pound. “What the hell is your problem with Caitlin? What did she ever do to justify your having such a poor opinion of her?”
“Adam Kelley, language!” Mom snaps, a vivid blush staining her cheeks, “I’m only stating facts. The girl had no stable upbringing, no education to speak of. It’s hardly unreasonable to wonder about her character.”
“Paula, that’s enough,” my father says, his voice sharp.
But my mother seems unable to stop herself now that she’s started. “Really, Adam, when you think about it, this is for the best. What kind of wife would she have made? What kind of mother? With no example to follow?”
“Paula,” my father says again, louder.
“She was nothing but kind to all of you,” I say, my voice tight with anger. “She tried so hard to fit in, to be accepted, and you never gave her a chance.”
“She didn’t try,” Millie scoffs, her sweet facade cracking. “She was always so… weird. All she ever talked about was cooking, like it’s some special talent.”
“She wasn’t weird; she was wonderful,” I snap at Millie, and her face flushes an angry red.
“None of you ever asked her about anything else,” Lauren interjects, her voice sharp. “Adam’s right; we never gave her a chance.”
Hailey rolls her eyes. “Oh please. What else was there to ask about? Her family’s stupid little restaurant? All the years she spent drifting? Her job at that greasy spoon? It’s not like she was going places.”
