Chapter 2

Brooke could always tell right away when something was off with me. Her expression shifted immediately, and she asked in a rush of concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen?

"And tomorrow's the family dinner too. Why are you here tonight?"

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

Brooke and I had been married for two years, and she had been nothing but good to me. We lived in different cities because of work, and she used to make the trip to see me every weekend.

She never complained, not even when my family treated her like she was invisible at those dinners. Lately, her job had gotten so demanding that she could barely carve out any time for us at all.

I didn't say anything. She seemed to understand what had happened without needing me to explain, and she didn't push.

The next morning, Brooke was up early. She called in to work and told them she was taking the day off so she could spend it with me.

She made me my favorite breakfast—scrambled eggs, pancakes, and crispy bacon. After all these years, she was the only person who remembered what I liked. Being with her was the only time I could actually breathe.

That was when Mom called again. I let it ring. I already knew what she was going to say.

Brooke glanced at my phone. "You're not picking up?"

I shook my head. "No."

But the moment I ignored the call, the family group chat exploded. Mom went first.

"Alan, where are you? Do you know what time it is?

"Your brother and Jenna are already here. Everyone's waiting on you.

"Did you get the shrimp and the lamb chops? And your dad's still waiting on that banana bread."

Then my brother, Dylan Jori, texted. "Al, where are you? Hurry up. And don't forget the strawberries, Tyler's throwing a fit."

Jenna Silva, my sister-in-law, chimed in as well.

"No rush, Al! I know there's a lot to pick up this time."

None of them cared whether something had happened to me. All they cared about was what I was bringing and whether I'd be there to do the work. That was what "family" meant to them.

I typed a reply into the chat.

"I already told you, I'm not coming."

The message went through, and for about three seconds, the chat went completely silent. Then, it blew up.

Mom came first. She sent a wall of texts, one right after the other, every single one of them packed with exclamation marks.

"You're not coming? You should have said something sooner! Dylan and Jenna are already here! Tyler's crying because he's hungry, and he's been waiting for the strawberries you were supposed to bring!

"And now you say you're not coming? What are we supposed to eat?"

Dylan was right behind her.

"What the hell, Alan? The whole family is sitting here waiting for you, and you're pulling this? Who do you think you are?

"Mom and Dad aren't young anymore. You're really going to let them sit here with nothing to eat?"

Jenna chimed in next, dripping with fake concern. "Al, sweetie, did I do something to upset you? If I did, just tell me. Don't take it out on the family dinner."

I watched the three of them tag-team me like they always did, each playing their part perfectly, and I laughed. I didn't reply, but the chat didn't stop.

Mom sent another message. "Your father's blood pressure is through the roof! Get back here right now! Don't make me come over there!"

Dylan lost his temper entirely. "You moved away, and now you think you're too good for us? After everything this family did for you?"

Jenna kept up her act of playing peacemaker. "Oh, let it go. He's part of someone else's family now. We can't exactly beg him to show up."

And finally, Dad texted. He almost never said anything in the group chat, but this time he did.

"Don't bother coming back. Not tomorrow, not ever."

I watched the messages pop up one after another, and every single one of them cut into me like a knife. I put my phone face-down on the table and didn't respond.

Brooke set a warm bowl of oatmeal in front of me. "Eat first. Come on."

I spent those two days at Brooke's and cut off all contact with my family. On Saturday afternoon, she took me to a spa resort outside the city.