I hugged her back.
“Yes, Mom,” I said. “I think it will be.”
When my mother took the stage, the string quartet stopped and the crowd gathered. Someone dimmed the lights, leaving a spotlight on Donna Seward as she stepped to the microphone with the grace of a woman who had been rehearsing this moment for months.
“Thank you all so much for being here tonight,” she began. “Sixty years. Can you believe it? I look at this room full of people I love, and I feel so blessed.”
Appreciative murmurs moved through the room.
A few glasses were raised.
“I want to take a moment to talk about what matters most to me,” she continued. “Family.”
She paused for effect.
“My wonderful husband, Gerald, who has put up with me for thirty-seven years.”
Polite laughter.
“My beautiful daughter, Myra, who has built such an impressive career out in Colorado.”
A few heads turned toward me.
“And my son Kyle, who I am so happy to announce has finally found stability.”
Kyle grinned from his spot near the bar.
Brittany squeezed his arm.
“In fact,” my mother said, her voice lifting with theatrical excitement, “Kyle and his lovely girlfriend, Brittany, have just moved into a beautiful new home. A fresh start. This family has always supported each other, and I am so proud that we could help make this happen.”
People clapped.
Actual applause.
I watched eighty-five people clap for my mother’s version of events.
The sanitized version.
The pretty version.
The one where my house was a gift freely given and her deception became family love.
My jaw ached from holding still.
“And now,” my mother said, beaming, “I’d like to invite my daughter Myra up to say a few words. Myra, sweetheart?”
I rose from my seat.
The walk to the stage felt endless.
Past tables of country club members.
Past relatives I barely recognized.
Past Kyle and Brittany’s smug smiles.
Each step was another chance to turn back, to let it go, to be the accommodating daughter one more time.
I did not turn back.
My mother handed me the microphone with a proud smile.
“Say something sweet, honey,” she whispered.
I turned to face the crowd.
“Thank you, Mom. And thank you all for being here.”
I paused.
“Before I continue, I need to clarify something. Mom just mentioned that Kyle moved into a beautiful new home. She’s absolutely right. It is beautiful. I know because I’m the one who bought it.”
