What would Jerica think if she couldn’t do it?
How much hate would she have to face?
Rubbing her hands wildly over her face as she sat at the kitchen table that morning, Bridget groaned. She wasn’t sure she could do it. She wanted to, but that didn’t necessarily mean she’d have the strength or the words to say something back when people were assholes to her.
At least at the wedding it would be relatively supportive people, right? Surely Eli wouldn’t invite anyone from town who was a bigot. Shuddering at the thought of how fast word would get out, Bridget clenched her jaw. No, she was going to do this. She had to do this. It was time to stop living under a rock, because that wasn’t really living.
Karen stepped into the kitchen to refill her coffee and put a hand on Bridget’s shoulder. “I think I saw your parents’ car coming up the road.”
“What?” Bridget’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
Karen nodded serenely, the look on her face hard to read, but it looked like a mix of pity and annoyance. “Eli said they’ve stopped by a few times.”
“Yeah, twice. I had the nurses kick them out of my room at the hospital.”
Karen cocked her head at Bridget. “What did they do?”
“You don’t want to know,” Bridget mumbled, spinning her mug in her hand. “Guess it’s a good thing I showered last night and got dressed in clean clothes today.”
Patting her shoulder again, Karen said, “Do you want me to tell everyone to keep their distance?”
“Pretty sure they’ll do that naturally.”
“Maybe. I had some good times with your mom back in the day.”
Furrowing her brow in confusion and disbelief, Bridget shook her head. “You don’t have to lie to make her seem like a better person.”
“No, I mean it. She was very nice to me when I first moved here. Sharon just…she seemed to get more bitter as the years passed.”
“As my father influenced her, you mean.”
“Perhaps.” Karen slid into the seat next to Bridget. “We were very close when you girls were young, since you and Eli were born the same year, and Bryant and Eddie were. We did a lot of things together.”
“Because you had to. I know how it works. When there are only twenty kids in each class, you’re stuck with them for life.”
Karen frowned. “It wasn’t just that. Sharon and I did things together outside of that. Something really changed when you girls hit junior high. I’m not entirely sure what it was, but she closed in on herself and became a completely different person.”
“Yeah, an old bitter witch.”
“Bridget, don’t talk about your mother like that. She may not be the most pleasant person or the best parent around, but she did raise you, and in her own way, she does love you.”
Bridget snorted but wisely chose not to answer. She wasn’t sure it would get her anywhere. She had nearly forgotten what close friends Sharon and Karen had been. They had done so many things together, even though Sharon had been far more involved in school things than Karen simply because Karen had a paying job.
“Here they are. Do you want them in here or the den?”
“Here is fine,” Bridget mumbled. She really didn’t want to waste her time moving from one place to the other in order to accommodate them. She was done catering to their wants and needs.
Karen greeted them as though they were long lost friends, her ability to be hospitable astounding Bridget every single time. These were people Bridget hated, and it was clear from the short conversation they’d had that Karen wasn’t exactly fond of them either, but none of that seemed to matter as she greeted them at the door and showed them into the dining room.
Sharon sighed heavily as her eyes landed on her daughter. She settled into the chair Karen had just abandoned and sighed again. “You look a mess, Bridget.”
“Well, it’s easier to wash my hair now, so that’s a bonus.” She raised her now cast-free arm, glad to have that thing off for so many reasons, not least of which was washing her hair.
“Have you figured out when you’ll be going back to work?” Edward asked.
“I’m still on leave, Dad. I’ll be back to light duty soon.”
He frowned but didn’t say anything else, always leaving Bridget to read between the lines. Sharon started in next. “I do wish you’d consider going back now.”