Page 40 of Mistakes Were Made

“If the two of you would justlisten—”

“Do you even know what she wants to study?”

Adam did what he’d done every time Erin won an argument their entire marriage: he held his hands up like she was attacking him and his voice went all faux ingratiating.

“Fine, fine,” he said. “I won’t push it… but if she everwantsa letter of recommendation from an industry-wide known engineer, give her my number.”

Erin absolutely would not.

When they left the pantry, Cassie was nowhere to be seen. Erinhad to finish mixing the punch. She ignored Adam, who wandered back to the party.

Alone in the kitchen, Erin hung her head and leaned on the counter, palms flat. She and Adam got along well enough most of the time, but he drove her crazy when they disagreed. He’d always made her feel small when she tried to talk about problems. He was so certain in his own worldview, he made her feel like a fool for seeing things differently.

Whatever. Erin rolled her shoulders back and stood straight. She’d finish the punch and find Cassie and apologize, because Lord knew Adam wouldn’t.

But she couldn’t find Cassie when she returned to the party. Guests were shoulder to shoulder in the living room, Parker enthralling a group of them by talking about a cappella. It was more than halfway through the party, but there was still an inordinate amount of food on the dining room table. Erin stole a prosciutto-wrapped fig as she slipped past. The firepit in the backyard had only drawn a few guests. Erin didn’t have to venture outside to tell that one of them was Adam in his puffy black North Face. Cassie was nowhere to be seen.

Erin wondered if she’d overheard, worried she was upset. Not because of anyfeelings—she would’ve defended anyone against Adam being a misogynist dick like he’d been to Cassie. She just wanted to make sure the other woman was all right.

But her brother arrived then with their dad in tow, and Erin had to play the dual roles of wonderful hostess and perfect daughter.

“Hi, Daddy,” she said, offering her cheek for a kiss.

“Sweetheart!”

His coat was cold from outside on her bare arms as they hugged.

As always, her father’s first stop was at the food table. Erin teased her brother about his new haircut while their dad loaded up a plate for himself.

“Why do I even visit when you’re always so mean to me?” her brother joked.

“Someone has to bring Dad to see his favorite child.”

“No chicken wings?” their dad asked.

“Ooh,” her brother said. “Are you sure you’re the favorite child when you didn’t even make chicken wings?”

Erin ignored him. “I know, I’m sorry. I should have made time to make them.”

“Please, sweetheart. No apology needed. I tried to get your mother to stop making them for years.”

Erin was distracted by her brother making vague gestures behind her dad, which she was pretty sure were supposed to be about him being the favorite child but it was hard to tell. It took her a moment to process what her dad had said.

“Really?”

“She hated them! So much work for such a tiny amount of meat on each one of those things.” He reached for a prosciutto-wrapped fig. “These on the other hand? Totally worth the work.”

Erin couldn’t move on with the conversation. “She hated the chicken wings?”

“The chicken wings, the cleaning, the never knowing how many people would actually show up. There were so many years I would’ve canceled the thing if she wouldn’t have killed me for it.”

“You can’tcancelthe Christmas Eve party.”

Erin’s dad laughed and shook his head. “You truly are your mother’s daughter. What would peoplethinkif youcanceledthe Christmas party?!”

Before Erin could ask what that meant, Parker slid her arms around her grandfather’s waist from behind, squeezing him hard. “Pop!”

His granddaughter took all his attention, and Erin’s brother’s, too, and Erin was left to herself to try to understand this new information about her mom.

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