Apparently Ryan didn’t have an answer.
Then my mother stepped in.
That didn’t surprise me.
“What did Mom say?”
“She told Amelia that grown-ups can belong to different families.”
I knew my daughter.Marriage
“Oh no.”
“Yeah.”
“What did Amelia say?”
Nora almost laughed.
“She looked straight at your mother and said, ‘You told Mom family supports family.’”
My eyes filled.
“And then?”
“She asked why Aunt Lina didn’t have to support you.”
I covered my mouth.
For months, my mother had used family as an argument against me.
Family forgives.
Family supports one another.
Family shows up.
My nine-year-old daughter had apparently noticed the same contradiction I had stopped bothering to point out.
“Where is she now?”
“Outside.”
“Is she crying?”
“A little.”
“I’m coming.”
“Annie, there’s more.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should know what happened.”
“What?”
“Amelia picked up her candle.”
I waited.
