Chapter 12 - Mason Was Afraid Dinner Would Become Dangerous Again
For weeks, Mason barely spoke during meals.
Lily watched every plate.
If someone stood suddenly, she flinched.
The kitchen had become the place where their mother hurt Grandma and their father hurt their mother.
That was the memory we had to replace.
Not erase.
Replace.
We ate temporarily at Rebecca’s house.
Same people most nights.
Mom.
Me.
Mason.
Lily.
No forced apologies.
No pretending nothing happened.
The first evening, Eleanor stopped halfway through dinner.
Mason noticed.
“Grandma, are you done?”
She smiled.
“Yes.”
He looked nervous.
“You can be done?”
Mom’s face changed.
“Of course.”
Lily immediately pushed the bread basket toward her.
“You can have more too.”
Eleanor laughed softly.
“So many rules.”
Then Mason said:
“There should be one rule.”
I asked:
“What?”
He looked around the table.
“Everybody gets food.”
My throat tightened.
Mom reached across and squeezed his hand.
“That’s a very good rule.”
May you like
It became ours.
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