Could have gone better
He didn’t think i should be airing dirty laundry
You didn’t air anything. Your grandparents did
I brought you to dinner and knew what might happen
I basically insisted on coming
I’m still the one who invited you
I could have prevented this
This is why I didn’t want you digging around in the first place
I drew back and stared at his last text for a long time, my cheeks hot. What the hell? A few hours ago, he’d been saying I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet now I deserved the blame? I tried typing a few things but they all sounded wrong and stupid.
Got it.
I put my phone down and crossed the tiny yard to bury my face in the lavender. Lavender had calming properties, right? Maybe I should sleep out here.
My phone buzzed again and I grabbed it.
I didn’t mean it like that
Sure he hadn’t. I’d said enough cutting things to Mom to know when someone had aimed words to hurt, and his words had been specifically designed to cut me down. I wished I knew how to convey cold indifference via text. Instead, I didn’t answer.
My phone rang, shuddering into motion on the porch chair’s arm.
Good lord. What was he doing, calling? Phones only rang for death and library bills. Or perhaps he, too, knew not to let silence fester. “Wow. A phone call.”
“I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“It’s fine.” This was better. Much easier to convey disdain via vocal tone than emojis.
“No, it’s not. I’m mad at my dad and grandfather, and I took it out on you. Butthey’rethe ones who snap at people when they’re mad. I don’t want to snap, too.”
I was silent a minute. “Learned behaviors, I guess.”
“I’m going to learn other behaviors, then.”
“What happened with your dad?”
“He was just pissed. You know.”
“Not really. Why?
“Mostly what I was telling you about. My dad expects me to keep things together, you know? Iknowmy grandparents are rocky right now, worked up about a hundred dumb little things, so I should know better than to introduce—variables.”
“Me.”
“Yeah.” He sighed.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed to come.”
“I’msorry. I shouldn’t have blamed you. I was—striking out.”
I hesitated, not sure how to frame what I wanted to ask. “Is your family always so... tightly wound? Your relationships with your dad and grandpa seem... strained.”
