Heartbreak and Hope: A Quiet Rebellion

y kitchen counter. The rib roast, perfectly browned. The fluffy mashed potatoes

the trash. But that would be a waste. I had

remembered how Noah used to pick the fried onions off the top of the casserole, one by one. I remembered how Jessica would complain that the crab wasn't fresh enou

All

appetite, and the shock had curdled what little was left. I forced myself to take a fe

I let it ring three times before I

ell

all dropped.

id. Just tidying

ght. This traffic is just a night

s he had lied to me before, and I had just believ

y voice even. "These things

kground, and then Noah' s voice ca

Did you get

ie. It' s right he

ame console? The one with t

. It had cost me over six hundred dollars.

, it

id muttered. Then, louder, for my benef

stractedly. "Jessica, can I open my

me again. G

angel. We' ll see Grandma tomorrow. Sh

their game of getting more and more from me. Whenever I hesitated to write a check or buy an expensive toy, Jessica would sigh and say, "It

anym

David," I said, my voice coo

before he

le of gifts. One was a small, beautifully wrapped box for me, from me. It was a tradition I started after the divor

contents. A full set of La Mer skincare. I had seen her eyeing it in a magaz

reflection in the dark glass of the oven door. My face was pale, my sk

always thought the money was better spent on D

ed the lid. The cream was thick and luxurious. I scooped a generous amount onto my finger

hecks. I had written one out for David and Jessica for ten thousand dollars, and one

e the

undred dollars. I wrote one for Noah. For fifty dollars. And I wrote one

witching, the barely concealed rage in her eyes. She would probably

e fear of their disapproval, the desperate need for their lov