Chapter 3: The Party Stopped, but the Lies Had Just Begun
The backyard fell silent.
Even the music seemed too loud now.
Twenty pairs of eyes turned toward the open screen door.
Every conversation stopped.
My cousin Derek lowered the burger he had been holding.
Aunt Gloria slowly set down her drink.
Uncle Raymond looked from me to my mother, clearly waiting to see who would speak first.
My mother forced a nervous laugh.
"Oh, don't mind Colin."
"He's just stressed from work."
Nobody moved.
I stepped onto the patio with Jamie still in my arms.
His head rested against my shoulder.
His skin was still burning.
"This party is over."
"I want everyone to leave."
The silence became even heavier.
Derek frowned.
"Seriously?"
"It's Jamie's birthday."
I looked him straight in the eye.
"My son has been upstairs with a high fever all day."
"You've been eating in my backyard for hours."
His smile faded.
"What?"
Several relatives exchanged confused looks.
Aunt Gloria turned toward my mother.
"Judith..."
"I thought you said the baby was taking a nap."
"He is."
My mother answered quickly.
"He just has a tiny cold."
Evelyn stepped onto the patio behind me.
"No."
Her voice shook.
"He has had a fever since yesterday."
Every head turned toward her.
"He needed a doctor."
"I asked for medicine."
"I asked to take him to urgent care."
She swallowed hard.
"I was told it would be a waste of money."
A ripple of whispers spread through the crowd.
"What?"
"She said that?"
"That doesn't sound right."
My mother's face tightened.
"Evelyn is exhausted."
"She's emotional."
"New mothers imagine things."
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
"I am not imagining anything."
For the first time since I had come home, she wasn't whispering.
She wasn't looking down.
She wasn't asking permission to speak.
She was finally telling the truth.
"I haven't been allowed to buy groceries without asking."
"I haven't been allowed to drive my own car."
"I haven't been allowed to spend a single dollar."
Several relatives stared at my mother in disbelief.
I felt my stomach twist.
"What do you mean you weren't allowed?"
Evelyn looked at me.
"I never had access to the money."
"I thought you knew."
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"What money?"
"The money you sent every month."
"I never saw it."
My hands tightened around Jamie.
I looked at my mother.
"You told me Evelyn handled the household budget."
My mother shrugged.
"I managed it for her."
"She's terrible with finances."
Evelyn let out a bitter laugh.
"I begged for diapers last week."
"I had to explain why Jamie needed more."
Nobody said a word.
"I wore the same two pairs of shoes for eleven months."
"I stopped buying shampoo because I didn't want another argument."
"I skipped meals."
"So Jamie could eat."
I stared at her.
"You skipped meals?"
She nodded.
"There wasn't always enough food left."
I looked across the picnic tables.
There were trays of smoked brisket.
Grilled chicken.
Steaks.
Fresh fruit.
Three different desserts.
Enough food to feed a small wedding.
My mother noticed where I was looking.
"This was a special occasion."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"A special occasion?"
"My wife has been starving."
"My son has been sick."
"And you're serving prime rib?"
She folded her arms.
"I sacrificed my retirement to help this family."
"You should show a little gratitude."
Something inside me snapped.
"Gratitude?"
"I've been sending you thirty-five hundred dollars every month."
"Where did it go?"
She didn't answer.
"I asked you a question."
Still nothing.
Derek suddenly cleared his throat.
"Actually..."
Everyone looked at him.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Aunt Judith did say you wanted to help the whole family."
I turned slowly.
"What?"
He looked uncomfortable.
"She said you told her everyone could come over whenever they wanted."
"That you were paying."
My jaw tightened.
"I never said that."
Derek blinked.
"What?"
"I never gave anyone permission."
The backyard grew quiet again.
Aunt Gloria frowned.
"Judith..."
"You told us Colin insisted."
My mother forced another smile.
"There must be some misunderstanding."
"There isn't."
I took one step toward her.
"You lied to them."
"You lied to me."
"You lied to Evelyn."
"And while everyone enjoyed free meals..."
I looked down at Jamie sleeping weakly against my shoulder.
"...my son was lying upstairs with a fever."
No one defended her this time.
Not even Uncle Raymond.
A police siren echoed somewhere in the distance.
It was faint.
Probably several streets away.
But my mother suddenly looked nervous.
Far more nervous than someone caught in a simple lie.
She glanced toward the front of the house.
Then toward my cousin Derek.
It lasted only a second.
Most people would have missed it.
I didn't.
Neither did Evelyn.
May you like
And in that brief exchange...
I realized they were both worried about something that had nothing to do with the party.
