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Chapter Two
December 2014 – Coral Gables, Florida
For reasons that shall become clear, I was pissed.
I responded from my seat at the dining table, “Bravo, whore. Don’t send me an invite.”
“As if Iwould, you hateful cow! You’re justjealous!”
Istoodup. Avabackedup.
She might be twenty-six and fit but I was twenty-nine and fully capable of kicking her ass. Both of us knew that.
Our dear mother stepped between us. “You two listen to me. You can duke it out like white trash when I’m dead. Until then, you’ll fake civility.” She shook her head. “Every single one of my sisters broughtnormalchildren into the world…”
I interrupted, “Mom,normal? What about that lurky kid of Aunt Jackie’s?” Nowaywas that man playing with a full deck.
Piercing me with a glare thatshouldhave terrified me and probablywouldhave if she wasn’t five-two, she hissed, “I havegirls. Daughters aresupposedto be a mother’s joy. You owe me this experience.”
“You expect me to go to her wedding after what…”
“Petra, I expect you to be her maid of honor.”
I was stunned.
Ava lost her mind instantly. “You can’t make me putherin my bridal party, Mom! She’shorrid!”
Pointing her finger in Ava’s face, Mom barked, “You’re the horrid one! After what you pulled…Christos! You won’t shame this family, Ava. You hit your quota for the next decade. You’ll do right by me in this one thing and we’ll pretend to the world we’re not insane.”
“Mom!”
“Notonemore word, Ava. You’ll have the wedding I pay for and you’ll smile at your sister in your bridal party.”
“Daddy would want me to be happy. You can’t ask me to put up withPetraon my special day.”
Folding her hands in front of her, Mom cleared her throat.
Smarter than my sister by about three dozen IQ points, I stepped back and braced myself.
Ava never saw the hurricane coming.
“You bring up your father tome, Ava? You dare to guiltmeover a man who left us for his masseuse? Who hasn’t seen you or your sister inseventeen years?” Mom sucked her teeth. “It took me half that time to track the bastard down for a divorce.”
“You don’t understand…”
“No. It’syouwho doesn’t understand. When you overspend six months of every year, it’smymoney that helps you. When you tell me you wish to marry thisanóito, thisfoolof a man, I know already you expect outrageous luxury.”
“Just make her attend and I’ll pose for a photo.”
Mom reached up to stroke my sister’s face. “Youwilldo as I bid, youwillplay happy family, or so help me god, I’ll cut you off without a cent. Petra, I’ll stop making you yogurt.”
Bomb dropped, our mother walked calmly from the room.
Being cut off meanthorrificthings for Ava. Mom supplied her cold hard cash on the regular.
For me, it meant putting a few scratches on the awesome relationship I had with my mom…and no more homemade yogurt. I glanced at the bowl I made myself the minute I arrived at her house.
Store-bought just didn’t compare.
