Chapter 3 - Better Without Her
“You agreed?” I asked.
Dad crossed his arms. “Emma is sweet, but she can be a lot.”
“She’s seven.”
“She cries easily.”
“She cried because you excluded her.”
“That’s exactly my point.”
I stared at him.
He explained that Jessica’s kids were older, Diane’s children were “easygoing,” and Mom wanted a relaxed vacation.
“You invited Emma here to watch everyone else get tickets.”
“Your mother thought if she told you ahead of time, you’d argue.”
“She was right.”
Dad sighed. “You’re throwing away family over one trip.”
“No. I’m ending a pattern.”
The door opened behind me.
Emma stood there barefoot.
“Grandpa?”
Dad softened. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Why don’t you like me?”
His face collapsed.
“Of course I like you.”
“Then why can everybody go except me?”
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Finally: “It’s complicated.”
Emma shook her head. “No, it’s not.”
Then she closed the door.
Dad left without another word.
Near midnight, Mom emailed me a spreadsheet titled FAMILY SUPPORT.
She clearly meant to prove she had always treated Jessica and me equally.
Instead, the numbers did the opposite.
Jessica: college tuition, wedding contribution, down payment, remodel money, credit-card payoff.
More than $160,000.
Me: books, part of a used car, one dental bill, two grocery checks, and—amazingly—an estimated dollar value for babysitting Emma.
About $5,000 total.
I called Jessica.
“You’re jealous,” she said immediately.
“Did your kids need to learn they don’t always get the same things?”
She went silent.
Then she said something strange.
“You better hope Dad doesn’t start talking about your house.”
“What house?”
She hung up.
May you like
Ten minutes later Mom laughed into my ear.
“Oh, Sarah. You really thought your house was entirely yours?”
