She lives in an apartment on the south side of the city. A really old building, right, Eleanor? I went once and almost had a panic attack.
The stairs creek. There is no elevator and it smells like mildew. The laughter was louder this time.
I felt the walls of the dining room closing in on me. Harper poured more wine into the guests glasses. Poor mother-in-law.
I always tell Liam we should help her more, but she is so proud. She will not accept money. She looked up at me with those eyes full of malice.
Right, Eleanor. You prefer to live in poverty rather than accept help from your own son. That was a lie.
A cruel lie. I had never rejected help. They had never offered it. The only dollars Liam had given me in the last 2 years were $50 for my birthday, and Harper had made it feel as if she were gifting me a fortune. “Be grateful, Eleanor,” she had told me in front of him. “Not all children are so generous with their mothers.”
One of the guests, a man in a gray suit, wiped his mouth with his napkin. Well, at least she has her health. That is the important thing at that age, isn’t it?
Health and a roof. Even if it is humble, I nodded mechanically, feeling the tears beginning to pool behind my eyes. I could not cry here.
I would not give them that satisfaction. Speaking of health, Madison leaned forward with a venomous smile. Harper told me that lately you have been forgetting things, Eleanor. That sometimes you do not remember where you left your keys.
That you confuse the days of the week. I froze. That was not true either. I do not. I tried to defend myself, but Harper cut me off again. It is normal at her age, 75 years old, the brain starts to fail.
I felt like I was running out of air. “I am 65,” I said with a trembling voice. Harper blinked as if she had made an innocent mistake.
Oh, sorry. 65. I forget because you look so much older. The laughter exploded around the table. It was open laughter, undisguised, cruel. Madison slapped her thigh, laughing.
The guests exchanged amused glances, and Liam, my son, my only son, smiled just a little, just for a second. But he smiled. Something inside me broke in that moment.
It was not a loud break. It was silent but definitive, like a branch finally snapping after bearing too much weight for too long. I looked at my plate with the half-eaten food and asked myself how I had arrived here, how I had allowed them to treat me like this, how I had let my own blood humiliate me without saying a word.
Well, Harper stood up and raised her glass. I want to propose a toast. Everyone raised their glasses except me.
I did not have wine. They had not even served me. I toast to family, Harper said, looking directly at me.
To the people who really matter, to those who contribute something valuable to our lives. She paused and her smile grew darker. And I also toast because soon we will make some important changes in this family.
Changes that will bring us more peace, more tranquility. Madison nodded enthusiastically. It is for the best, sister.
It was about time. I did not understand what they were talking about, but the tone of their voices made my skin crawl. Liam lowered his gaze again, uncomfortable.
Harper, “Maybe this isn’t the moment,” he muttered. “Of course it is the moment,” she replied firmly. “Everyone here is a trusted friend.”
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