“I know, mom, I’ve already got Silas on it.” That perked her right up, and her smile was wide enough to split her face. “Good, that’s very good. Soon we can put this all behind us, and things can go back to the way they’re supposed to be.” She patted my cheek like I was three and went back to hog the baby, leaving me standing there, wondering just what the hell was going on in my life.
It didn’t help matters when my eyes landed on Giselle, and I saw what I deemed to be a smug look on her face. What the fuck was she so happy about? The fact that mom had kicked Dana out of the house? Whatever that changes nothing, and neither does the fact that I’m starting to feel way too comfortable having her here.
All through dinner, which was about two hours earlier than usual, something else I find suspicious since this would’ve been the cocktail hour if Dana had stayed, but I can’t be mad at mom for changing my orders, something I’m sure she’d done since it meant me getting the chance to see my dad in grandpa mode. I guess it’s true what they say about grandparents.
Mom seemed to be on a campaign to alienate everyone, including Giselle, or so I thought when she made some very not polite comments to her, like her comment about her clothes. “Whatever are you wearing, love? You always used to look so lovely. It was one of the things I admired most about you. I guess it’s being a single mother that has caused you to stop taking care of yourself.”
I just glared at mom for her comments once again thrown for a loop since it now seemed like she was attacking the woman she’d threatened me for only the day before. When she kept picking at Giselle, for some reason, it got under my skin. “That’s enough, mom; Giselle doesn’t have a battalion of nannies at her service, and as far as I can tell, she’s done a great job raising my son.” What the fuck?
I knew I’d been had when I saw the shit-eating grin on my mother’s face and the blush on Giselle’s. This old woman stays getting in my business and making me look like an ass in front of this disloyal twit who’d betrayed all of us. I bit my tongue and kept my head down for the rest of the meal, only paying attention to dad and my son since the women in the room seemed to have some kind of conspiracy going.
By the time my parents were ready to leave, I found myself standing in the doorway with Giselle and my son waving them off like a happy family. That pissed me off no end, and I couldn’t tell you why. All through dinner, my parents had acted like they’d seen her just the day before, like she hadn’t up and disappeared from my life and theirs without a single care in the world.
I lost count of how many times my dad thanked her for his grandson; no doubt, he’d been put up to it by a mom who lorded it over the dinner table like the tyrant she is. I didn’t get to be my usual sniping self with my ex, not with mom glaring across the table at me even when I couched my insults in sugary sweet prose.
As soon as they were out of sight, I dropped the façade and walked away with my son. She mumbled something that I didn’t quite catch, but I could’ve sworn she said something along the lines of ‘well that didn’t last.’ I looked back at her as my son drooped in my arms, his poor little head nodding against my chest, worn out by his grandparents. It’s a wonder my kid has any skin left on his cheeks as often as the two of them pinched them.
“You can leave anytime you want; the door is right there.” I didn’t wait around to see how she took that. How dare she complain? She’s lucky I’ve let her stay here this long. “Give him to me. He needs a bath and then bed.” She tried to take the baby away from me but I resisted, holding him out of her reach.
“I can do it; it’s about time I learned.” I gave her a good glare to let her know that it was never far from my thoughts, whose fault it was that I never had the privilege. Her shoulders drooped at the reminder but not before I saw a little spark of something in her eyes. I wish she would say something to me, give me the excuse I so badly need to go off on her.
This mix of confusing emotions was getting to me, and I felt like I was about to crawl out of my skin. One minute I wanted to strangle her, and the next, my mind kept trying to make sense of everything I’d learned today. That reminded me of the ultimatum I’d given her earlier. Yes, tomorrow, I will know for sure one way or the other. If she doesn’t give me what I want, I won’t go back on my word. I will most definitely kick her ass out of my house without my son, of course.