“He has his own family to support.” Her voice cracked. “I have no one else to turn to.”
Her brother, Brian, used to be my manager and someone I considered a friend, until I saw his true colors and set him loose.I thought that would be the end of dealing with this family. Apparently, I was wrong.
Brian has made millions off me. He could help her if he really wanted to. It made me wonder why he was keeping his wallet closed and where the hell all his money was going. Was that why he was coming after me? It would explain a lot.
I cleared my throat, ready to wrap up this conversation. “I’m sorry to hear about your financial troubles. I hope you find a solution soon, but I’m afraid it won’t be me.”
I didn’t wait for her reply. I turned and stalked back toward the private dining room. I took a deep, calming breath, trying to smooth my face into something neutral.
Mom looked up from the table. Her eyes were filled with concern. “Is everything okay? Where is Lydia?”
“All good.” I forced a smile as I slid back into my seat. “She’s gone. I’m sorry she showed up like that and caused a scene.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed as if trying to decide whether to call bullshit or not.
Callie tightened her hands around her wineglass. “It’s my fault.”
I glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. “I posted a picture when we were boarding the plane in Charleston, and she reached out to me, asking questions about this weekend.”
“It’s not your fault, Callie. You had no idea she would show up here tonight.”
She shook her head. “She asked if we could get together while I was in town. I told her we were going to dinner tonight and had too much going on,” she said quickly. “I haven’t talked to her in months. I swear.”
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to make her feel better. I could tell she was beating herself up over this.
Callie winced. “I had no idea she would just show up out of the blue like that. I promise, I will block her and be more careful next time.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Now, stop apologizing; Lydia is a grown-ass adult. She used you to get to me. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
Dad leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “We had no idea things were that bad. Do you want to talk about it?”
I unfolded the white napkin and placed it on my lap. “I’d rather not.”
I didn’t want to explain it or relive it. I just wanted to move on.
“All right.” Mom patted my hand. “We won’t.”
The server came by to refill our water glasses.
“So,” Callie leaned back in her chair, “let’s talk about something else. Like you going solo to the fundraiser this weekend.”
The charity was an annual event. It was a benefit for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Something my sister and I took on together. It wasn’t about publicity. It was about her. Callie was diagnosed with hearing loss in third grade from complications of pneumonia. So, this charity meant something to my whole family.
“Callie, I don’t need a date.”
“You most certainly do. The problem is finding someone who can put up with you,” my sister teased.
Mom laughed. “She has a point.”
“Wow.” I shook my head with a smile. “Way to be supportive, Mom.”
I leaned back in my chair as the conversation eased into safer territory. We went over the guest list, the sponsors, and the timelines. I watched Callie as she talked. The way she moved her hands, the confidence in her voice. It was hard for her growingup. She has always had to rely on lip-reading. Through it all, she has remained strong, always finding ways to turn something difficult into something meaningful.
“I’m proud of you,” I said, knocking my shoulder into hers.
She smirked. “You’re not getting sentimental on me now, are you?”
