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“Don’t turn on the light,” Katrina said, wincing.
Grant flicked it off and closed the door. He was a sturdy shadow toward the far end of the room, hands in his pockets. He smelled faintly of beer and cigars. Reese was a frequent cigar smoker and often brought out the best of the best at parties.
“I haven’t seen you since I heard about the engagement,” Grant said.
Katrina cleared her throat.
“What do you think?” Grant stepped closer and peered down at her on the bed.
Katrina forced herself back up, shifted her legs onto the mattress, and leaned against the fifteen-plus throw pillowsOriana had arranged at the head of the bed. “I think it’s fast,” she said.
Grant was quiet. Katrina stewed in shame.
“I think she looks really happy,” Grant offered. “Happier than I’ve seen her in years.” He wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “Don’t you think that’s proof of something? I mean, Ida says she’s trying really hard. That rehab helped.”
It was rare for Katrina and Grant to speak about Sophie’s addiction so openly. This was one of the only black holes in their marriage. The truth was that Katrina had kept Sophie’s teenage addiction a secret from Grant, too. She’d meant for the secrecy to protect them both. She was no longer sure it had been the right strategy. But you couldn’t go back and adjust the past.
Katrina forced herself to look up at Grant. She huffed.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Katrina said, sounding crueler than she meant to. “You’re going to tell me I sound like my mother. That I’m just as stubborn as she is. But I never put my mother through what Sophie put me through.”
Grant raised his hands in defeat. “I wasn’t going to say that.”
Katrina closed her eyes and filled her lungs. “I want my daughter to be happy. I want her to be in love. I do.”
Grant sat down beside her on the bed and took her hand. “I know it’s hard to forgive,” he said. “But you’ve forgiven your mother over and over again. Why not your daughter, too?”
Katrina couldn’t answer him. Exhaustion and anger rolled through her chest, pressing against her like a boulder.
“Just let me rest a few more minutes,” Katrina said. “I’ll come back to the party. I promise.”
Grant shifted toward her and kissed her gently on the forehead. Tears sprung to Katrina’s eyes.
“I love you, Kat,” Grant said. “It’s the first day of 2024. We’re going to plan our daughter’s wedding this year. And it’s going to be beautiful. Okay?”
Katrina nodded tentatively. Grant got up and retreated from the room, ambling back down the staircase and to the hubbub below. Katrina rolled onto her stomach and pressed her nose into the floral comforter. She hated it so much when she wanted to disagree with Grant and tell him that he didn’t understand. Usually, she understood he was the voice of reason, which hurt even worse.
Chapter Nine
The text from her mother arrived on January 4th at nine in the morning. Sophie was halfway through a “yoga for pregnant moms” YouTube exercise, which she promptly stopped.
MOM: Do you have plans today?
MOM: I could use some help at Grandma’s house. If you have time.
Sophie’s heart pumped. She was on her feet in a flash, padding across the yoga mat and heading for the bathroom. She couldn’t see her mother without unwashed hair, perfect makeup, lotion, or pristine clothing. Katrina was always on the hunt for clues that Sophie was using again. One strand of hair out of whack could send Katrina spiraling.
As the water got hot, Sophie texted her sister to see if she planned to stop at their grandparents’ house that day.
IDA: I’m not going to make it, unfortunately. Frankie and Nellie head out tomorrow, and we have a to-do list a mile long before they go.
IDA: Does this mean Mom invited you?
SOPHIE: She did. I feel like it’s a trap.
IDA: Just lean into it. She’s not the Big Bad Wolf.
IDA: And I think she feels bad about how she reacted to your engagement news.
