My voice shook when I answered. “My voice shook when I answered. “I had a severe stomach bug. I was violently ill. I
couldn’t make it through the day, so I went home. I had a doctor’s note. I wasn’t trying to…”
My words got swallowed up by the talk around the table.
My uncle swirled the wine in his glass. “Back in my day, we worked through worse. Kids today are so soft.”
My aunt took a sip of wine and looked at me. “Exactly. She just didn’t want to work, so she made up an excuse. Linda.
she’s really embarrassing you with that attitude.”
My mom set down her fork, looking pleased. “Florence, interns represent the whole department. You can’t just leave because you feel a little under the weather. What would our partners think of me, of the program?”
“I wasn’t making it up…”
“Yes, you were!”
The table went silent. The only sound was the canned laughter from the Christmas special on TV.
Tears filled my eyes. I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
“You’re too soft. If you can’t handle a stomach buɑ how are you going to handle anything real?”
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She came around the table. Her shadow fell a
“You’re going to apologize to everyone here. Stand up and beg them for forgiveness. Tell them you were wrong and you’ll
never embarrass me like this again. And you’re going to mean it.”
I sat frozen in my chair. My pulse pounded in my ears.
“And I’m recording this. If you ever pull this again, I’ll send this straight to the scholarship committee.”
She pulled out her phone and pointed the camera at me. My knees locked. I couldn’t make them bend.
“Florence.” My mom’s voice went ice cold. “Don’t make this worse.”
“No.”
The word carne out barely above a whisper, but it took everything I had. My mom went still. She hadn’t expected me to
refuse.
Then she hit me. The sound cracked through the room. My head snapped to the side and my ears rang
Her hand twisted in my hair and she yanked me out of my chair. “After everything I’ve done for you? Get on your knees!”
My body hit the floor hard. I looked up at her through my tears I didn’t recognize the look on her face. This woman who’d raised me felt like a stranger.
Twenty years of swallowed rage finally surged up.
“I won’t! I’m your daughter. Why do you treat me like this?”
I pointed at the relatives around the table. My finger was shaking
Is that what this is? You need to prove you’re a good mother, so I’m supposed to play along? You need to look tough, so
you use me for it. You only care about your reputation, so I’m your punching bag”
My voice broke, but I kept going Tm a person too. I have feelings. This hurt”
“What do I have to do to make you stop humiliating me?
Tears ran down my face. I stared at the person I’d loved most in the world. She just sneered at me.
“I made you. I own you. I don’t need a reason.”
Something inside me shattered Whatever hope I’d been holding onto died
My mom straightened and grabbed my arm. Fine Get outside and think about what you did. You can come back when
you’re ready to apologize.”
She dragged me onto the balcony. The cold hit me like a wall
She slammed the door and locked it. Through the glass I could see the lights the food the laughter. It looked like a
different world.
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I knelt in the freezing wind. It had to be belo
d in my hair.
I couldn’t stop shaking. My teeth chattered and my fingers turned purple.
But something in me went quiet. The hurt I’d been carrying just….. went quiet.
I stayed on my knees, my back straight, and watched her through the glass. She was smiling and serving my cousin more
food. She was probably telling everyone the right way to raise kids.
I looked at the glass door and smiled. That’s it. Mom.
This was the last time I’d put on an act for you.
