They met at Jason and Stephanie’s.
Neutral enough.
Linda arrived last.
Peter beside her.
She looked tired.
Angry.
Riley had rehearsed the conversation repeatedly.
Every version vanished when her mother entered.
Linda removed her coat.
Looked at Riley.
Then at the others.
“So.”
Nobody answered.
Linda sat.
“I assume this is my intervention.”
Jason sighed.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“Can we not start like that?”
“How would you like me to start?”
Riley spoke.
“By acknowledging you lied.”
Linda stared at her.
No warm-up.
Good.
“I did not lie.”
Stephanie shifted.
“You told me Riley volunteered.”
“She always helps.”
“That was not the question.”
Linda looked offended.
“You were crying on the phone because you and Jason hadn’t had a night alone in months.”
Stephanie’s face hardened.
“Yes.”
“And I tried to help.”
“By volunteering Riley.”
“Because Riley loves the kids.”
Riley said:
“I do.”
Linda pointed toward her triumphantly.
“See?”
Riley continued.
“Loving them does not mean I am automatically responsible for them.”
Linda folded her arms.
“There’s the therapy language.”
Riley almost smiled.
“No therapist gave me the word no.”
Peter shifted beside Linda.
“Linda.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
He rarely challenged her publicly.
Everyone noticed.
Peter continued.
“You told me Riley agreed too.”
Linda stared.
He swallowed.
“You said she called you.”
Riley looked at her father.
Linda’s face changed.
“Peter, not now.”
“No.”
His voice shook.
But he continued.
“I think now.”
The room went silent.
Peter looked toward Riley.
“I knew you said no at dinner.”
Riley felt her chest tighten.
“Then why did you let her tell everyone I changed my mind?”
Peter looked ashamed.
“Because she said you did.”
“That’s it?”
He lowered his eyes.
“I wanted to believe her.”
Riley laughed once.
Painfully.
“Why?”
“Because otherwise I would have had to confront her.”
Linda stood.
“Oh, wonderful.”
She grabbed her handbag.
“So I’m the monster now.”
Jason said:
“Sit down.”
The entire room froze.
Jason had never spoken to her that way.
Linda stared at him.
“What did you say?”