He nods. “His parents asked me to house him. They thought they might whisk him away for some of their travels, and didn’t want to have to pull him from a boarding school on a whim and risk being kicked out. Less fear of that with public school.” He smirks at Eli’s father. “Looks like I was right in saying he could have been in a boarding school.”
“They’re so expensive!” Eli’s father says.
“But they do produce disciplined individuals.”
“I think it worked out well that we didn’t enroll him anywhere else,” Eli’s mother says, giving her husband and brother-in-law pointed looks. “Seems like he’s fit himself in well at Fredricks High.”
The next twenty minutes are among the most awkward I’ve ever sat through. Eli and I don’t have a little bubble of privacy again, as his parents keep asking both of us questions. How exactly did we meet? How did Elliot get the nickname Eli? When did we start dating? How’s school going? Do we have any classes together?
It seems like a good thing. It feels . . . forced. Like they know they should ask these things, but don’t really care about the answers, from the way his father keeps tapping on his smart watch and his mother doesn’t engage with any of the responses. Eli becomes more robotic with each one, less readable.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal like this,” Eli’s mother says as we finish. “Thank you, Lilah. It was delicious.”
Mom smiles. She starts bringing plates back to the kitchen. A flicker of surprise goes through me when Eli’s parents both stand to copy her. They have some manners, anyway.
Eli doesn’t notice, statuesque beside me.
“We certainly weren’t expecting anything like this today,” Eli’s father says, picking up his plate. “We got to Remington’s house and couldn’t believe you weren’t home!”
Something inside Eli snaps, whatever thoughts he’d had churning in his mind lashing out. He stands, his chair scraping against the floor. “You never listen! I told you Mrs. Benson invited us here! I told you I’d be here, and I toldhim”—he points a finger at Uncle Remington—"when I invited all of you to come with me! But you never listen to me!”
His chest rises and falls with the weight of his breath.
“You called when I was at work,” Eli’s mother says, setting her plate back down. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember, but we did come all this way to be with family, so you have to understand why we’d be confused you weren’t home.”
Everything is silent for several constrictions of my heart, as Eli stares at his mother with an open mouth, looking for all the world like he’s just been slapped.
“I am home, Mom. I am with family.”
His mother looks at Mom, Janet, Hugh, and me, as if waiting for us to say Eli is wrong. Her lips press together when none of us do, and she returns her attention to Eli. “I didn’t mean anydisrespect, but this isn’t your family, Elliot. Not really. I know they’ve just given us a nice meal, but—”
“We are his family,” Mom says. She’s shorter than Eli’s mom by several inches, but takes a step closer and gives her a look that makes it feel like she towers over the other woman, it’s so scalding. “Eli is my son in every way that matters, and I won’t stand here and let you suggest otherwise.”
“Go Mom,” Janet says under her breath. She looks at Hugh, who’s staring at all of us with wide eyes, and grabs his hand to lead him to the door. Probably best she gets him outside, away from the yelling I think is coming.
I can see the fight ramping up inside Mom. If they press this, she’ll go after them and give them the verbal lashing I know she’s been dying to. The vindictive part of me wants it to happen. I think part of Eli does too.
“We’re leaving,” Eli’s father says. “Elliot, let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Eli says, snapping angry eyes to his father.
“I told you he’s become insufferably obstinate,” Uncle Remington says.
“What I’ve become is aware of just how wrong this‘family’is. You’re never here.”
“We have to travel for work,” his mother says.
“You have to travel because it’s the only excuse you have not to see me!” Eli yells.
“Don’t raise your voice at your mother!” Uncle Remington says in a voice close to a shout.
I can’t stand back any longer. “Seems like that’s the only way she hears him!” I explode, staring the man down. Eli’s mother looks likeshe’sbeen struck, now, staring at Eli with pinched brows. I focus on his horrible uncle, letting the fury inside me rear back and roar. Time for a wake-up call they can’t ignore. “He didn’t even want to invite the three of you today, and do youknow why? He had no faith you would come! He did it because my mom asked. He has no faith in you, despite wanting so desperately for you to be the family he deserves.”
“Jack—”
“They need to hear it,” I insist, over Mom’s voice.
“They do,” she says, before I can continue. Her voice is hard, and when I glance at her, I see fire in her eyes. “But let me say it. Eli, I didn’t want to do this in front of you, but I can see we already are. I’m sorry for that.”
