Jason looked embarrassed.
“Riley, I’m sorry.”
That stopped her.
He meant it.
She could hear it.
“I really thought you agreed.”
“I know.”
Stephanie stepped toward the camera.
“So did I.”
“I know.”
Linda scoffed.
“Oh, wonderful. Everybody gang up on me.”
Emma looked up.
“Grandma?”
Linda turned.
“What, sweetheart?”
Emma’s small face was serious.
“Did Aunt Riley say no?”
The adults froze.
Linda forced a smile.
“This is grown-up stuff.”
“But did she?”
Linda did not answer.
Emma looked toward the camera.
“Aunt Riley?”
Riley swallowed.
“Yes, honey.”
“I said I couldn’t watch you.”
Emma frowned.
Then looked at Linda.
“Then why did you say she would?”
Nobody moved.
Children had an unfair talent for removing every adult excuse from a situation.
Linda’s expression crumbled for half a second.
Then hardened.
“I was trying to make Christmas nice.”
Emma considered that.
“For us?”
“Yes.”
“Was it nice for Aunt Riley?”
Linda had no answer.
Riley covered her mouth.
Stephanie looked away.
Jason stared at the floor.
Then Oliver, who had followed almost none of the conversation, asked:
“Can we go to the cabin now?”
Stephanie laughed once.
Exhausted.
“Yes.”
Jason looked up.
“We’ll take them.”
Linda stared.
“What?”
“We’re going.”
“With the children?”
“Yes.”
“You booked a romantic cabin.”
Jason shrugged.
“Then it’s a family cabin.”
Linda looked offended by the concept.
“You can’t put a baby in a hot tub.”
Stephanie stared.
“We were not planning to put the baby in the hot tub, Linda.”
Despite herself, Riley laughed.
Jason heard.
He almost smiled.
Then Linda turned toward the camera again.
“You think this is funny?”
Riley’s smile disappeared.
“No.”
“Good.”
“Because what you’ve done is incredibly selfish.”
Riley felt the familiar reflex.
Explain.
Defend.
Soften.
She inhaled.
Then said:
“I told you no.”
Linda rolled her eyes.
“You keep repeating that like it changes anything.”
“It changes everything.”
“You abandoned your family.”
“I didn’t abandon anyone.”
“You knew we were coming.”
“No.”
Riley’s voice became very calm.
“You knew I wasn’t available.”
“You came anyway.”