To Save Her

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Happy birthday!" mom exclaims once I set foot into the kitchen. I groan tiredly, rubbing my eyes. Mom's at the stove, cooking. Trent's already at the table, drinking orange juice and eating his breakfast, which is french toast with a side of bacon. The smell of bacon woke me up, even though my body wasn't ready to get out of bed yet.

"Mm, morning," I murmur, sitting down at the table. Mom glances back at me and chuckles.

"You can't even pretend to be excited?" she teases, tossing the french toast in the pan onto a plate and setting it in front of me. "Goodness, I can't believe you're already 18! My baby is growing up so fast," she coos before planting a kiss on my forehead.

I yawn, grabbing the bottle of syrup. "Thanks, mom. I'm not a baby anymore, though."

"Oh, I know. You are 18 now, after all. You still feel like my baby, though."

"Mmm, Trent's the baby," I tell her, cutting myself a piece of french toast and popping it into my mouth. Trent looks up from his plate for the first time and glares at me.

"I'm not a baby either," he states firmly, food still in his mouth. I roll my eyes.

"You're younger, so that makes you the baby of the family."

"You're the baby!"

"Knock it off, you two," mom commands, "There's no need to argue over nonsense like that."

"Whatever," Trent mumbles, shoving more bacon into his face. When he bites down, a piece of bacon drops onto the table. Classy.

Mom finishes up her last batch of french toast before sitting herself down at the table with us, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "So, later tonight dad will be coming over for dinner."

"What? How can you let him come back after what happened last time?" Trent asks, appalled, slamming a fist onto the table. Mom turns and gives him a look, staring him down with her eyebrows raised and lips set in a tight line. Trent withdraws his fist immediately. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to hit the table so hard."

She shakes her head, turning to me. "It'll just be him, no Abigail or Darla. I figured it might be...for the best if they didn't come along as well."

Wow, at least someone's looking out for me. Thanks, mom.

"I need you two to at least be cordial with your father this time. I understand what happened last time was inappropriate, but we need to look past those differences we had and be nice for tonight, alright?"

"Fine," Trent begrudgingly agrees. I nod. I don't know why she's looking at me like I'm the one who holds some sort of grudge against dad. I think there'll always be a part of me that dislikes him for what he did to mom, but he's still my dad.

"I assume Roy, Foster, and Liz will also be joining us for dinner?"

"They'll be here. Eva, too, if that's alright," I tell her.

"Sweetie, it's your birthday dinner; of course it's alright," she reassures me, smiling widely. "Besides, the more the merrier, right?"

"Right."

"If you'd like, you could invite Liz's parents? I'd still like to meet them," mom says, giving me a sly look. I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Uh, I'll ask her. No promises, though."

Liz and I have been going steady for the last couple of months, as surprising as it may be. It's a relief that she hasn't changed her mind about me, because I most certainly do not miss having to beg for forgiveness every other month. I know it was only because Liz is weary of new people, and didn't want to cause me any harm, but it was honestly just exhausting.