Page 436 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

“Fran, Gabby—grab your coats.

“Let’s go.”

Maria's recliner shakes. “Madonn’ santa,” she laughs, breathless. “Take me now. Don’t keep me here with these pazze.”

“Ma,” Andrew hisses.

“Stop laughin’. You’re gonna wake her.”

“You know who’s crazy?” Sera’s voice cuts back in. “Her. She’s crazy. Your girlfriend? Fuckin’ insane. Real good job choosin’ ‘em.”

Another silence drops.

The door opens,

then closes after some of them leave.

Andrew’s voice drops next.

“Your turn. Get out.”

Sera scoffs. “Excuse me?”

“You. Out,” he says.

“Not kiddin’. I don’t want you here.”

“Whoa—nah-uh,” Sabrina cuts in.

“Andrew, sweetheart,” Paola slides in.

“You’re not kickin’ family out.”

“Family?” Andrew laughs, exhausted. “That word’s got real selective hours in this house, huh? Only counts when you need it to. Rest of the time, everybody does whatever the fuck they want.”

Sabrina’s firing off⁠—

“This the man you raised?”

“It’s her,” Sera shouts.

“She’s literally changing you.”

Then they’re all talking at once.

Maria’s chair shakes harder from her laughter.

“Andrew,” Paola inches in careful. “Maybe take Allison downstairs. Let her sleep in your room. Sera can sleep on the couch. We can deal with all this when it’s not Christmas.”

“Nah. Ain’t doin’ that.”

“Sweetheart, they live four hours away.”

“I’m not movin’ Allison. I’m not wakin’ her up, draggin’ her downstairs. I’m not havin’ people disrespect her in my home. And I’m not gonna keep adjustin’ my life to make everyone else comfortable. Done with that.” I hear him knock the counter. “Sera’s grown. She wants to talk shit? She can do it at a hotel in front of a mirror. Aunt Sabrina can go with her or take the guest room.”

Sera lets out a laugh. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah. Girls’ Night’s over. Drive safe.”