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“But this moves me in the right direction?” I asked, only half joking.
“We’ll see,” she said. “You’re just so pathetic right now. Being mad at you kind of feels like kicking a dog or something.”
“I’m not sure if I’m more offended about the pathetic part of that or the dog part,” I replied, wrinkling my nose.
“I’m sorry Draco’s being an asshole,” she said, her chin still resting on my shoulder.
I thought about the look on Draco’s face. “He was actually really nice about it,” I replied.
“Which made it even worse, I bet,” she said knowingly.
“Yes,” I said, pausing. “If he was an asshole, at least I could’ve been mad!”
Rose laughed and gave me a squeeze. “I hear that.”
“I mean—” I stared at the pan in my hands. “I don’t really blame him? I don’t know. It just figures that when I was ready to fix shit, he was ready to be done.”
“Men are idiots,” Rose said.
“I can hear you,” my dad called from the table, “and so can your sons.”
“My sons won’t be idiots because I’m teaching them different,” Rose replied snottily.
“Mama!” Jamison yelled at the same time from the living room. “Bwody fahted on me!”
“You were saying?” I asked Rose drolly.
“Okay,” Rose said, letting go of me. “Fart jokes are always funny, so that doesn’t count.”
“Mmhmm,” my dad hummed.
“Boys are gross, men are idiots,” Rose whispered with a laugh.
“Still hear you,” my dad muttered. I looked over my shoulder at him.
Rose turned and put her hands on her hips. “Could you go do something?” she asked him. “Because we’re trying to have some girl talk here.”
“Do your thing,” he said with a wave of his hand.
“He’s nosy,” Rose said to me.
“He’s nosy?” I teased.
“Hell,” she said with a huff. “I should have been nosier. I should’ve read your diary or something.”
“I didn’t have a diary for that very reason,” I shot back. “Most of what I wrote down, I burned in the fire pit out back.”
“I knew you were burning shit back there!” she said, her jaw dropping.
I laughed as I leaned my butt against the counter and dried the last pan from dinner.
“Thanks for doing that,” she said, taking the clean pan from me. “It’s nice to have the break.”
“I help you,” my dad protested.
“You’re not part of this damn conversation,” Rose snapped in irritation. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d stomped her foot. “And most of the time, you’re so tired when you get home that you pass out in your chair.”
“I’ll give ya that,” my dad grumbled.
“As much as I love listening to the two of you bitch at each other—”
“This is friendly sparring,” Rose argued.
“I need to get home. I have to work before anyone else in the world is awake.”
“Except, you know, the people you’re making coffee for,” Rose said with a laugh.
“Yeah, except those,” I said, tossing the towel at her. “We good?”
Rose caught the towel and looked at me. “We’re always good,” she said seriously. “You know that. But I’m still pissed that you were getting bullied and terrorized and never said anything when we asked.”
“That’s overstating it a bit,” I said quietly.
“That’s understating it,” she shot back. “You were fucking stalked at that school.”
“Well, I’m not there anymore,” I replied. “So you don’t have to worry.”
“And they’re all adults now,” Rose said darkly. “If we run into them—” She shrugged and mimed taking off her earrings and pushing up her sleeves like she was about to fight someone.
“And that’s why I didn’t tell you,” I said, only half joking.
“Pfft,” Rose said. “I’m not an idiot who does shit with witnesses, and I’d make sure they got physical first. I’m very provoking.”
“Jesus, ain’t that the truth,” my dad piped up.
“Love you guys,” I said with a laugh. “Thanks for dinner. Come by the shop in the morning and I’ll make you something good.”
“I’ll be there,” Rose said, snapping me lightly with the towel as I walked away.
“Love you, too, princess,” my dad said, getting to his feet to give me a long hug.
“I’m leaving, brothers,” I announced as I walked through the living room. They were watching some anime cartoon and barely even looked up to wave at me. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Jamison said, his eyes still on the TV.
I paused behind them.
“Yeah,” Brody said with a shooing motion. “Love ya.”
“Hey, Rose,” I said making my way toward the door. “You’re failing with Brody!”
“Hey,” my brother called out in protest as I left through the front door.
I’d put on a good show, I’d had years of practice, but as soon as I was outside, my shoulders slumped. I didn’t want my parents to worry about me any more than they already were. With our history, and my mom’s depression that had eventually ended her life, I knew that my parents had always kept an eye out for any signs that I wasn’t dealing well. They probably always would.
