AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have a daughter. When she grows up, I don’t want her to think it’s okay to be fat,” Oskar returned. “She sees her aunt a success or people like that Black singer, she’ll get unhealthy ideas.”
“That Black singer?” Elsa had taken her hand from his knee in order to eat, but at the tone of her voice when she said those three words, Hale searched under the table until he found it and then he gave it a squeeze.
“The one that plays the flute,” Oskar said.
“You mean Lizzo,” Elsa informed him. “She has a name. It’s Lizzo.”
Jesus.
No shade on Lizzo, the woman was beautiful, but Elsa wasn’t close to Lizzo’s size.
But by putting them in the same sentence, Oskar’s intentions were clear.
“You would know, since you know all the celebrities.” That came from Emilie, again under her breath but still loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I have yet to meet Lizzo,” Elsa stated. “And although not everyone likes the same thing, so not everyone is going to like her music, that doesn’t negate the fact she’s an accomplished musician, singer and songwriter. She’s about self-expression and positivity. She’s about saying it straight and keeping it real. She’s about making unseen people seen. The fact she’s about all of that and many people boil her down to her size, and then politicize it, is tragic. However, it isn’t a surprise. A woman with a point of view, that point of view being trying to introduce other women to their inherent power, a message that other women gravitate to, has always been a threat. A Black woman, that threat escalates. So the status quo will do anything to reduce her to something about which they can manipulate opinion in order to dilute her message, and her power.”
“Are you calling me a racist now?” Oskar demanded.
“No, I’m suggesting you’re a misogynist,” Elsa returned smoothly.
A flush rushed up Oskar’s neck.
“Elsa, I believe I requested we move on from this discussion,” Inger snapped.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but one more thing,” Elsa said.
“Elsa!” Inger bit off.
But Elsa looked again to Oskar. “Hale isn’t high and mighty. And he’s done nothing to indicate he feels like he’s better than anyone at this table. You insulted his girlfriend. He didn’t like it and let you know. You didn’t like that, so you started acting like an ass. Now,I’mupset you’re taking shots at Hale. So I’ll ask you to refrain from doing it.”
Oskar said nothing to Elsa. He looked at his mother.
“I don’t think Anoushka and I are going to be bringing the kids for many visits if this is what we’ll be treated to when we come home.”
“Oh, darling, don’t say that!” Inger exclaimed, openly panicked.
“I find it interesting you chose arguing as a profession, and you’re seemingly unable to rise to the challenge when someone is besting you,” David put in, aiming this his son’s way.
“David, stay out of it,” Inger ordered.
Elsa leaned into Hale and shared, “I forgot to tell you, Dad wasn’t a fan of Oskar going to law school. He thinks our justice system is broken.”
Hale turned to her. “It is.”
Although she kept her lips tightly pressed together, it didn’t hide her smile.
“You haven’t hidden you despise my calling, Dad,” Oskar said.
“What calling is that, son?” David inquired.
“The law.”
“You don’t practice law. You practice the art of racking up billable hours.” David returned.
“Correction,” Elsa whispered in his ear. “It wasn’t law school so much as the fact Oskar went into it to make money and not help people.”
“I’m catching that,” Hale whispered in return.
