Page 37 (1/2)

She washed her hands and then reached for a large, blue porcelain bowl filled with oyster stuffing Spreading out the turkey skin-side down, she spooned gray stuffing blobs onto the dark, pink flesh ―I said, that teacher of yoursAnderson? Your o above and beyond First, the night of youryou home after theto get that involved‖

A little warning ding intherapy teaches you, Bob, is how to read between the lines and then feed people answers they‘ll accept It‘s like h truth so those ugly zits don‘t show Or scars, for that ed ―Well, I like him a lot Most everybody does But I kind of worry that I‘ to cover for Moe of hiet close to my teachers for recommendations What‘s worse is, I think some of the other kids think I‘m a teacher‘s pet and I don‘t want that either and‖ I sighed ―Meryl, I just don‘t knohat to do‖

And score one for counterintuitive responses While I duar and butter into the yaave me pointers on how to not look like a suck-up as she sewed that turkey back together again By the time Mom and Dad stumbled down for coffee and war her on the island during Easter break in ti, and all talk ofthat happened after that? I blaot their collective heads handed to theo By halfti into the kitchen to trade his beer for Scotch, we kneas going to be a rocky afternoon The turkey was out of the oven by the ti Twentythe turkey like it was brain surgery and spoiling for a fight I think that‘s why he gave me white meat He probably hoped I‘d complain and then he could yell and blow off steaet on with theroo and the click-click-tick of silver on good china My father gnawedrun for the last week, I was still starving and white meat just doesn‘t do it for me So I reached for the other drumstick and said, just for form‘s sake,

―Does anyone mind if I--?‖

―Not so fast,‖ Psycho-Dad snarled ―You‘ve still got food on your plate, young lady

You finish that first, then we can talk about seconds‖

My jaw unhinged Mom and Meryl stared Mom said, reasonably, ―Honey, you know she doesn‘t like white me--‖

―Stay out of this, Emily‖ Psycho-Dad thrust out his jaw ―I am sick and tired of the way you coddle her She‘s over all that ‖ He gestured with his half-gnawed drua to break She gets everything she wants Didn‘t we get her that daain ―Elliot, dear Please Lower your voice‖

―Mory‖

Meryl put her hand on Monored us both ―She‘s sixteen, Elliot You‘re treating her like a four-year-old You need to stop bullying people‖

―I am not a bully,‖ Psycho-Dad seethed He threw his drulass tumbler, still a third full of Scotch He drained the liquor in a s ―I‘h his teeth, his voice thin and strangled with the alcohol burn ―I pay the bills around here I pay for the food on this table and the clothes on your back and that store You‘re just lucky I‘ve done that for as long as I have‖

If only he had stopped there, we ht I do re about what he wanted to say next Maybe he even considered that silence would be kinder, although I doubt it

Instead, Psycho-Dad gave this small, very satisfied nod and pushed on ―But I‘ed around here‖

―What‘s that supposed to mean?‖ asked Mom

I scraped back my chair ―I‘ll start clear--‖

―Sit,‖ said Psycho-Dad He didn‘t say stay, but he ht as well have I sat

Moe?‖

Dad‘s face was ruddy He reached for a bottle, splashed wine into his glass and drank Maybe he‘d pass out before he did e

―Elliot?‖

Dad came up for air His upper lip et Red wine dribbled fro my collateral for your line of credit That store is finished and I‘m done, Emily I‘m done‖

f