Chapter 16: The Dinner

The ballroom turned to look at me, all four hundred of them.

Daphne stood at table one with her hand on her stomach and her eyes full.

"Evan's baby," she said. "He didn't tell you because he was scared."

"Congratulations," I said.

She blinked.

"Then Evan owes you child support, and you should ask Halden's lawyers for his address."

"He has nothing now!" Her voice broke. "You took everything. You'd leave a pregnant woman with nothing?"

"I'd leave her with what she picked."

I picked up my fork.

"I'm not your bank, Daphne. I'm not your mother, and I'm done being your best friend."

She stared at me for a long time.

Then she snatched her purse and ran for the doors in her red dress, with the ring flashing in the chandelier light.

Nobody stopped her.

On Sunday, my mother called me at ten in the morning.

"Come to dinner at five," she said. "Your father wants to talk to your brother. Please come."

I drove out to Matthews.

The house smelled like roast chicken, the way it had every Sunday of my childhood.

My father sat at the head of the table with his hands folded.

My mother set out five plates.

Colin came in at five past, in a clean shirt, with a woman at his elbow.

It was Daphne.

She wore a gray cardigan and no makeup, and her eyes were swollen.

She held one hand low over her stomach, where everyone could see it.

"Dad," Colin said. "I know we're not on good terms. But she has nobody. She's carrying Evan's baby, and Wendy won't even speak to her."

My father said nothing.

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