“If you’d allow her to make a few mistakes without rubbing it in, maybe she’d branch out a little more and make something of herself.”
I just loved when they talked about me like I wasn’t even here.
“She’s got a husband neither of us has ever met. What kind of daughter does that?”
“Well, maybe she didn’t think we’d approve,” Mom said.
“And that’s why she chose to get married? Because we wouldn’t approve?”
“Well, she did meet him in Vegas. You heard what Michael said. He was there for a job.”
“Right, and ended up in the middle of a gang!”
“It was the mafia, actually,” I corrected. Not that they were listening.
“Well, we haven’t heard it from her side yet. Why don’t we listen to what she has to say?”
“That would be something,” I snorted.
“So we can hear more lies?”
I sat back as they argued. It was really nice to have family around all the time. To feel their faith in me was like taking a warm bath on a cold day, not to mention that these drop-in visits made me feel so loved.
A loud whistle sounded behind me when Rob stepped into the room, breaking up the bickering. As he hobbled into the room, I almost felt sorry for bringing him into this mess.
Then again, if I was going to have to sit through this, he should have to suffer, also.
“Sorry, but I was standing there for a good two minutes and nobody noticed me.”
“So, this is the man who almost got you killed,” Dad said, getting to his feet.
“Actually, this is the man who kept me alive and saved my life by putting his body between me and a bullet.”
I glanced back at Rob, then to my parents, giving a shaky smile.
“He’s my husband.” And if that wasn’t enough, I threw one more log on the fire. “Oh, and I’m moving to Pennsylvania.”
“You might have phrased that differently,”Rob said as I fanned my mother, who was passed out on the couch.
“I didn’t know she would collapse just because I gave her the news,” I hissed.
“You could have started withthis is my husband, and left it at that.”
“Well, I figured I’d just rip off the band-aid.”
“Get your mother a glass of water,” Dad barked. “Christ, it’s like talking to a toddler.”
“If Mom was awake, she’d tell you to watch your language.”
“Yeah, she can bitch at me on the way home while she tells me how to drive.”
“It’s not that long of a drive.”
“Exactly, but I still have to hear about it.”
Rolling my eyes, I got up to fetch a glass of water, but Rob hobbled behind me, grabbing my arm to stop me.
“Maybe now isn’t a good time to…you know, do this.”