Chapter 2 - “DON’T EMBARRASS ME”
“Where did you get that key?”
My mother looked down at it like she’d forgotten she was holding it.
“This?”
“Yes. That.”
She smiled.
“Connor, don’t start.”
I handed Frederick to Amy for one second, pulled out my phone, and called our pediatrician’s emergency line.
Teresa stepped closer.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
My eyes stayed on the phone.
“My son has a fever.”
“He’s teething.”
“He’s barely making noise.”
“Babies cry.”
“He’s not crying.”
That shut her up.
Amy stood beside me, trembling.
When the nurse answered, I described Frederick’s symptoms.
High fever.
Sleepiness.
Not eating.
Fewer wet diapers.
The nurse didn’t hesitate.
“Take him to the emergency room now.”
I hung up.
“We’re going.”
Teresa blocked the doorway.
“No.”
I stared at her.
“What did you say?”
She lowered her voice.
“You have family here. People drove three hours. Don’t embarrass me.”
I almost laughed.
“Embarrass you?”
“Connor, you’ve always had a temper.”
“My child is sick.”
“And Amy has filled your head with nonsense.”
Amy flinched.
I saw it.
That tiny movement told me this wasn’t the first conversation like this.
I stepped closer to my mother.
“Move.”
Her face hardened.
“You don’t speak to me that way.”
“In my house, I do.”
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
The room became silent.
Even the music outside seemed quieter.
Then Betsy appeared behind her.
“What’s going on?”
I pointed toward Amy.
“Did you make her cook all this?”
Betsy folded her arms.
“Somebody had to.”
“With a sick baby?”
“Oh, please.”
I looked at my mother.
“Where are Amy’s keys?”
Teresa sighed.
“You’re making a scene.”
“Where are her keys?”
“She wasn’t leaving in the middle of your son’s birthday.”
I stepped around her.
Amy whispered, “Connor, please.”
I turned.
She looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not embarrassed.
Terrified.
“Why are you scared?” I asked.
She lowered her eyes.
My mother answered for her.
“She’s emotional.”
I looked back at Amy.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Amy.”
Her lip started shaking.
Teresa snapped, “Don’t.”
That one word changed everything.
I faced her.
“Don’t what?”
My mother stared at Amy.
“Don’t lie.”
Amy’s face went pale.
I walked over and put my hand on her shoulder.
“You’re coming with me.”
Then I looked at my mother.
“Everybody leaves. Now.”
Teresa laughed.
Nobody else did.
“This party cost thousands of dollars.”
“Then you wasted thousands of dollars.”
“With your money.”
My jaw tightened.
“What?”
She realized too late what she had said.
I slowly pulled my phone from my pocket.
“For eleven months, I’ve sent you three thousand dollars a month to help Amy.”
Betsy looked away.
Uncle Ray stopped chewing.
I stared at Teresa.
“Where did that money go?”
Her face didn’t move.
But her eyes did.
They flicked toward the hallway.
Toward my office.
May you like
And suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about a birthday party anymore.
I was thinking about my locked filing cabinet.
