Chapter 9 - The Phone Rang After Dinner
The phone rang while Dad was folding the blanket on the couch. It was past seven and the living room lamp was on, the warm kind that made the carpet look darker. Mom was sitting on the floor next to me, helping me untangle my earbuds. She glanced at the screen and her shoulders tightened a little.
It was Aunt Katie.
My name is Lily. I was twelve and I was still hearing Grandma's voice at that table.
Mom put it on speaker because Dad asked who it was. I could hear dishes in the background on Katie's end, like she was still cleaning up her kitchen.
"Hey," Katie said. "Are you guys okay? Mom said dinner was tense."
Mom looked at me, then at Dad. She didn't sigh or roll her eyes. She just sat up straighter.
"There was a moment at dinner," Mom said. "Lily asked what she should wear to the birthday. Mom told her she wasn't invited."
There was a pause. Water running, then stopped.
"She said that?" Katie said. "In front of everyone?"
"Yes," Mom said.
I twisted the earbud cord around my finger. I waited for Mom to say something about Katie's kids. She didn't. That was the first thing I noticed. She kept her voice flat and careful.
"I asked if your kids were coming," Mom said. "Mom said they're different."
Katie was quiet. I could hear one of the boys saying something far away and her telling him to wait a minute. My stomach felt tight because I liked my cousins. Tyler was ten and showed me how to do a kickflip on his skateboard even though I was bad at it. Mason was eight and still traded fruit snacks at lunch like it was serious business.
"I'm sorry," Katie said finally. "I didn't know she was going to do that. I told her my boys were excited to see Lily."
Dad leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He didn't interrupt. Mom glanced at him and kept talking.
"I'm not upset with your boys," Mom said. "They didn't do anything. This is between Mom and us."
That line stayed with me. They didn't do anything. I had spent two days at school picturing Tyler and Mason getting to eat cake while I sat at home, and I had started to feel mad at them without wanting to. Hearing Mom say it out loud made the mad feeling loosen. They hadn't chosen to leave me out. They were just kids who got invited.
Katie cleared her throat. "Listen, what if the boys come over here Saturday before the party? Lily could come hang out, do presents here, so she doesn't feel left out. Mom wouldn't even have to — you know, we could just keep it separate."
Mom looked down at the carpet. I could see her thinking. Dad shook his head once, small, but he let her answer.
"That's kind of you," Mom said. "But I can't do a backdoor invite. If Lily isn't welcome at Mom's birthday, I'm not going to send her around it."
"It's not around it," Katie said quickly. "It's just us. No drama."
"It would still be drama," Mom said quietly. "She would know she was only good enough for the side plan. I won't do that to her."
I stared at the lamp. My eyes burned a little, but I didn't cry. Mom reached over and took my hand without looking away from the phone.
Katie's voice got thinner. "So you're just not coming at all? You're making this a whole family thing?"
"We're not making it anything," Mom said. "Mom made the list. We're living with it."
There was another long pause. I heard Mason ask for more milk. Katie told him in a whisper to go ask his brother.
"She's going to be hurt," Katie said.
Mom didn't answer right away. Dad put his hand on her shoulder.
"We were already hurt," Mom said.
Katie didn't say sorry again. She said she had to go finish dishes and that she'd talk to Mom. The call ended with a click that sounded louder than it should have in our quiet room.
May you like
The lamp buzzed faintly. Dad unfolded the blanket again and spread it over my legs. Mom stayed on the floor beside me, still holding my hand.
No one said anything about Katie's boys after that. We just sat there while the house settled around us.
