“I can’t.”
“We’ll put you on a quick lemon-cayenne cleanse. You’ll be ready to go,” Mom says firmly.
“We broke up.”
“Winnie, no!” Kathy cries.
“How’d you blow it? God save me from my granddaughter.” Gran pulls at her hair. “Why can’t either of you keep a man?”
“We’re not giving up,” my mom says firmly. “Winnie’s going to pull herself together and tell Fitz she was just hormonal and to please take her back.”
I can’t stand there and tell my parents that I’m pretty sure Fitz and Kathy are sleeping together and lying about it.
“Why, Winnie?” Kathy shakes me. “What happened?”
“It’s just not working out,” I sob.
“Well, you’ll find someone better,” my dad says, trying to cheer me up.
“We’ll all move back in here,” Mom tells me soothingly. “And keep you company.”
“No!” Gran wails. “I already told my knitting group that I have a place for us to meet.”
“Why don’t we call Fitz?” Kathy says. My sister’s eye starts twitching. “I’m sure it was a misunderstanding.”
“I don’t want to see him,” I say, sniffling.
“I mean, she looks like that—no wonder he broke up with her,” Gran complains.
“I highly doubt he broke up with her,” Kathy says, mouth a thin line.
“Winnie, you better not have broken up with him. You’re almost forty,” my mom scolds. “You have maybe three eggs left.”
“Great-grandchildren I’ll never—”
“Why don’t we leave Winn alone for a little?” Kathy shakes her head. “I’ll call Carolina. This is crazy.”
“Winn, we’re going to go get dinner. We’ll bring you something, okay?”
“L’Altalena is nearby,” I mumble sadly. “They have crab ravioli.”
I burrowdown into the blankets on my couch.
I need to get it together.
Fidget licks my face.
I can’t fall apart because of a man. I never honestly thought it would work out.
Outside it’s dark and gloomy, the clouds heavy and low in the sky.
Now that’s one more thing ruined. I can’t even have a cozy rainy day.
Anyone who says relationships are awesome is a liar. I would have been better off alone.
And now I’m hungry. My stomach growls.
“Where’s my pasta?”
