Zayne blinks a few times, then raises his eyebrows at me. “Dot?”
My shoulders sag. “Red.”
Mom clears her throat. “Dot’s dress is just divine. Picked it out myself.”
Yes. Yes you did, Mom.
Instead of commenting, I pick up my fork and stuff a bite of salad in my mouth. It’s probably the best salad I’ve ever tasted. There are cranberries, walnuts, and apples in it. My stomach grumbles, and I take another bite. We all spend a good half hour eating in quiet satisfaction.
“Zayne, you should bring Dot here before the dance so I can take photos of you!” Mimi says, breaking the silence. “I want to see her dress!”
Zayne catches my gaze and raises his eyebrows in question, but before I can answer, Dad pipes up for what seems like the first time since we sat down. “Y’all better not be out too late.” It’s meant to be a joke, but because I know him so well, I can tell he’s serious.
My cheeks burn in embarrassment. “Dad.”
But Mom pats his knee with a chuckle. “Oh, Paul. Stop it!” She scoots her chair back and stands up. “Which way is the restroom?”
Gwen points behind us. “It’s the third door down the hall. Would you like me to show you?” She moves to stand, but Mom kindly waves her off.
“No, no. Don’t worry. I’ll find it.” She places her napkin on her empty chair before heading down the hall.
“This salad is really good,” says Beau. “What kind of dressing is this?”
Mimi beams. “It’s a light poppyseed vinaigrette. Made it from scratch.”
Dad’s lips form a silent “wow.”
The subject shifts to Mimi’s cooking, and my dad listens to her and Gwen explain how they started their restaurant. I try to pay attention, but my mind wanders to the play and the dance as Mimi tells us about how she’s in physical therapy for a bad case of tendonitis. “I can’t chop anything without a flare-up these days.” She casts her gaze downward. “It’s awful.”
There’s a beat of silence, and then Gwen makes a face like she ate something sour. “What—is somebody upstairs?”
Mimi swallows her bite of food. “Probably just that alley cat jumping on the roof again.”
“Oh, right. That thing’s always causing a ruckus.” Gwen blinks away her confusion and resumes the conversation. “Lenny, please eat your turkey.”
He shakes his head. “No, thank you.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
“I know. I never would have requested turkey.”
She sighs.
But my attention isn’t on them. My mind is swirling like a black hole, and it must be obvious, because Zayne reaches over and takes my hand under the table. When I look at him, he mouths, “You good?”
“My mom has been gone for a long time,” I say under my breath. I know I don’t need to say anything else because the implication is already etched into the tone of my voice.
Ten more minutes pass before Mom returns to the table. I can’t help but notice her face has been wiped clean of sweat. An easy smile is in place on her mouth.
“What took you so long?” Beau sets his fork down and stares hard at Mom.
“That’s rude, son.” Dad frowns at him and shakes his head.
My face heats.Oh, yeah. That’s just great. Get in an argument at my boyfriend’s house. Real classy.
“No, it’s fine,” Mom says. “I’m just a bit tired tonight. I think it’s time we headed home soon.”
My brows dart together. What is she talking about? She spent half of dinner in the bathroom and seemed perfectly well-rested before we got here.
