“This is her family.”
I believed I’d made myself clear.
What I’d really done was warn her that I had started paying attention.
***
Days after we returned, I invited everyone to dinner.
Mom and Dad arrived first with pecan pie. Dad immediately started fixing a loose cabinet hinge.
Nora came downstairs wearing a sleeveless yellow dress.
I invited everyone to dinner.
Mom smiled.
“There’s my sunshine girl.”
Dad looked up from the cabinet.
“That reminds me of the boardwalk.”
“Because it’s yellow?” Nora asked.
“Because you looked happier than I’d ever seen you.”
Nora’s face softened.
“There’s my sunshine girl.”
***
When Vanessa arrived with Lily, she eyed Nora’s bare arms.
“Bright dress.”
“She looks beautiful,” I said.
***
Dinner stayed calm until dessert.
Then, Vanessa slapped her phone onto the table.
“I can’t post a single vacation picture. Do you know how frustrating this is?”
Dinner stayed calm until dessert.
I knew at once what she was doing.
“Vanessa, stop it.”
She enlarged the beach photo of Nora.
“Look at that.”
Nora’s hand stopped around her glass.
Vanessa pointed at her skin.
“Vanessa, stop it.”
“Those stains are in every shot. They pull focus from everyone else.”
I stood.
“Put the phone away, and stop talking about Nora’s birthmarks.”
“If Nora knows her skin looks like that, why wear something so revealing?”
“Mom, stop,” Lily whispered.
“I’m trying to help her! You should be advising her, not enabling her.”
“Mom, stop,”
“You’re humiliating my child in her own home.”
Vanessa laughed.
“I’m being honest. People will zoom in and ask what’s wrong with her.”
“The world isn’t sitting at this table. You are, and you’re Nora’s family.”
Her smile vanished.
“Nora could’ve covered up and saved everyone the trouble.”
Nora covered her mouth, but a sob escaped.
“I’m being honest.”
I moved between Vanessa and my daughter.
“You’re doing this because I confronted you about cutting her out.”
Mom stared at Vanessa. Dad put down his fork.
“What did you do?”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
