Chapter 2 - GET OUT
James didn’t yell.
That was what made him frightening.
“Mrs. Miller,” he said to my mother, “I respect that this is your house.”
Mom looked relieved.
Then James continued.
“But Rachel is my wife. Emma is my daughter. And nobody hits either of them and sits down afterward like nothing happened.”
Lauren scoffed.
“Oh my God.”
James turned toward her.
“You have ten seconds to leave.”
She laughed.
“You’re not my commanding officer.”
“No.”
James stepped closer.
“But I’m Emma’s father.”
Lauren grabbed her wineglass.
“You military guys come home thinking you own everybody.”
“Lauren,” Dad finally said.
She spun toward him.
“What?”
“Maybe you should go.”
Her face hardened.
“Seriously?”
Nobody answered.
Lauren slammed the glass onto the table.
“Fine.”
She grabbed her purse.
As she passed me, she leaned close.
“You’re going to regret turning everyone against me.”
James heard her.
He moved between us immediately.
“Don’t threaten my wife.”
Lauren smiled.
“You have no idea who you married into.”
Then she walked out.
The front door slammed.
Emma was still crying.
I sat down and held her, pressing my lips against her hair.
James crouched beside us.
“Let me see her cheek.”
There was no obvious mark.
But his jaw clenched.
“We’re getting her checked.”
Mom sighed.
“James, really?”
His head snapped toward her.
“Yes. Really.”
“It was barely anything.”
My stomach dropped.
“Mom.”
“What? I’m saying she looks fine.”
James stood.
“Rachel, get Emma’s things.”
I didn’t move.
Because suddenly I remembered something.
Lauren had once slapped me too.
I was sixteen.
She was twenty.
We had argued over a sweater.
She hit me hard enough to split my lip.
Mom told Dad I had fallen.
I stared at her now.
“You lied for her.”
Mom went pale.
“What?”
“When I was sixteen.”
“Rachel, not tonight.”
“You told Dad I fell.”
Dad slowly looked at her.
“What is she talking about?”
Nobody spoke.
Then Aunt Linda whispered, “Susan…”
My mother’s face tightened.
James looked around the table.
“What else has Lauren done?”
Mom stood quickly.
“This is Christmas. We are not doing this.”
But Dad’s expression had changed.
“Susan.”
She closed her eyes.
And Aunt Linda quietly said the sentence that blew our family apart.
“She’s been covering for Lauren since college.”
Dad stared at his wife.
“Covering what?”
May you like
Linda swallowed.
“Everything.”
