She’d humiliated me for four straight days
He frowned at me.
“You okay? You seem… different.”
“I am different.”
“You’re still upset about everything?”
“Not since I stopped expecting people to protect me,” I said. “It’s surprisingly peaceful.”
He blinked but didn’t know what to say.
“I stopped expecting people to protect me,”
“Mom didn’t mean anything by the weight comments, you know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s just how she is.”
“I know exactly how she is, Dylan.”
He shifted uncomfortably.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No,” I said. “I stopped being mad this morning. I’m just done.”
He frowned, not understanding, and I honestly didn’t feel like explaining.
“Are you mad at me?”
Down the hall, I heard Diane humming to herself.
Whatever she was planning, she sounded very pleased with it.
I picked up the baby’s bottle and headed downstairs.
I walked into the living room, where Dylan’s siblings were already lining up sandals and sunscreen.
