Easier to Lie

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I was on a mother/daughter dinner date that night, something we had never done. I'm not sure if it counted as spending time together because she kept her nose in her phone all night.

"How are the plans coming along?" She had taken over everything.

"Pretty good. Lauralee is going to let us borrow their outdoor table and chairs. She told me today that Leah won't be coming, which I kind of expected. Other than that, everything is ordered. After dinner we need run into that party supply store for decorations. It may be an outside event, but it still needs to look elegant."

"Did Dad tell you where Eric took me yesterday afternoon?"

"Probably not," she took a bite of her pasta, but didn't look away from her phone.

"You know the Marshall Plantation?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, he took me there and asked if I wanted it."

"Mmhmm."

"I said yes, so he called the real estate agent."

She looked at me over her glasses. "Oh, Honey, don't be disappointed if the bank says no. You two are still kids, that's too much of a risk."

"But we can afford it," I wasn't going to let her ruin my good mood.

"How? You're kids. You'll need a cosigner and I'm not doing that. Emma can't afford to do it either. You can ask your dad, but with his move, I don't see how it's possible."

"Mom, seriously? We don't need help. I have my savings from Papa, and Eric has that insurance money from David's death. He has a good job, and I'll find one too."

"Your food is getting cold. Hurry up and eat," her way of ending the conversation.

We didn't speak to each other again until we were in the party supply store. She was looking at tablecloths and plates. "You wanted blue flowers, so should we get blue plates, or go with white?"

Before I could answer, she tossed the white napkins, plates and tablecloths into the cart.

"We can get blue decorations. They may not match the exact blue of the flowers, but I think it'll be okay."

Honestly, there was no point in me being there. She did her own thing, as usual, with me following silently behind.

The house was quiet and dark by the time we made it back. Dad was gone, as was all his things. It was like he had never lived there at all. Knowing that he was in his new place made me want to move out even more. I couldn't live with the ghost of his memories.

"Can you help me in the kitchen instead of standing there on your phone? I'm doing all this for you, so you can help."

I didn't ask her to do anything for me. This was all her idea, but I couldn't say anything because she would call me ungrateful. I felt like I couldn't win. I wondered if this is why Dad wanted to leave so fast. I hadn't seen my mother act this way in a long time, years even. I didn't know what to do.

"What should I do?"

She looked at me from loading the dishwasher. "You can go, I got it now."

For as long as I can remember, my mom has had that attitude. She'll ask for help then tell us that she's "got it" and be in a bad mood for the rest of the day, complaining about having no help. Sometimes I could not understand her.

Since being home from the beach, my mom has kept a nasty attitude towards me. She had a lot going on, and I understood that, but she always took everything out on me. It wasn't fair.