“Really,” Lisa states. “And is dinner the cause of this cloying odor?”
“I’m afraid that’s on me,” Mark interjects. “I had a little puff of something before I stopped by, and I guess my clothes still reek.”
“How lovely,” Lisa says.
“Is Aiden here?” Heidi asks, trying to see past Lisa’s imposing shoulders.
“Yourhusband,” Lisa says pointedly, “is still at work. I just stopped by to see if you wanted me to pick up some wine for dinner.”
“That’s so thoughtful,” Heidi says, as she’d said when Lisa offered to pick up Aiden from work.You could have just called,she thinks.
“I should go,” Mark says.
“Yes, you should,” Lisa tells him. “Really, Heidi,” her mother-in-law says when he is gone, “do you think it’s a good idea to be entertaining young men when your husband isn’t here?”
Heidi starts to explain, then stops. “White wine would be lovely,” she says instead, refusing to rise to the bait. “We’re having garlic chicken with honey and rosemary over a bed of steamed rice.”
Silence.
“You know I don’t eat garlic,” Lisa says finally.
Did I know that?“You don’t?”Since when?
“It’s fine. We can order in.”
“But it’s already made. And there’s not that much garlic. Won’t you at least try it?”
“And risk having heartburn all night? I don’t think so.”
“I’m so sorry. I honestly didn’t think…”
“Clearly. But it’s my fault,” Lisa adds, unconvincingly. “I should have reminded you.”
“Well, at least there’s a delicious blueberry bread pudding for dessert,” Heidi offers, feeling the threat of tears building behind her eyes. “No garlic in that.”
“No garlic, but hardly worth all the calories! I’ll pass, if you don’t mind.”
Heidi turns away as the tears become a reality. Only after she feels Lisa leave the room and hears the front door open and close does she collapse on the sofa and let them fall.