Chapter 2

The next day, at noon, Delilah didn't show.

My mother checked the doorway five times, then finally put the tender-stewed ribs back in the pot.

"Is Delilah stuck in traffic, maybe?"

"Maybe."

I finished setting the candles on the cake.

My uncle and his family sat at the table. They'd already been waiting over an hour.

My cousin asked me under her breath.

"Is she really coming? The food's been reheated three times."

Before I could answer, the door finally opened.

Delilah walked in carrying a document envelope, Alden Fox trailing behind her.

My mother stood up at once.

"Delilah, you're here, sit down. Alden came too, perfect, eat with us."

Alden held out a massage device, smiling gently.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Harding. Delilah picked this out for me. She said your back's been bothering you."

He called her Delilah.

I looked at her.

She didn't correct him. She just handed me the envelope.

"Sign this."

I pulled out the paper inside.

It was this month's household account statement.

At the very bottom was a new charge of eleven hundred dollars, marked as a birthday gift, with my name written in as the borrower.

"I didn't buy this."

"The gift's for your mother, so of course it comes out of your allowance."

Delilah pulled out a chair, her tone as level as ever.

"You've got three hundred left in your allowance this month. The remaining eight hundred goes down as a loan."

My uncle froze.

"You buy your own mother-in-law a birthday gift, and Jacob still has to sign an IOU for it?"

Delilah took out a pen.

"Even brothers keep clean accounts. A husband and wife should be even clearer. This isn't pettiness. It's how you avoid resenting each other later."

Alden chimed in softly too.

"Jake, Ms. Delgado keeps a tight rein because she cares about you. She compared six brands before choosing this massager, you know."

The smile on my mother's face slowly stiffened.

She pushed the massager back.

"I don't need this. You two return it."

"Mrs. Harding, it's already bought. Returns are such a hassle."

Alden took her hand.

"Besides, it's only eleven hundred. That's nothing to Ms. Delgado."

"It's nothing to her, but my son has to sign an IOU for it?"

My mother's voice was shaking.

Delilah frowned slightly.

"Mom, these are our household rules. Please don't misunderstand."

"I don't understand your rules."

My mother went to the bedroom and came back with a bank card, setting it on the table.

"There's eleven thousand on here. It's the emergency money his father left Jacob before he passed. I've been holding on to it for him. He used your money for his surgery, so I'll pay you back for him."

I shot to my feet.

"Mom, don't."

But Delilah had already picked up the card.

"Since you insist, I'll have Jacob write up a repayment statement, so there's no confusion later."

The whole table went quiet.

I snatched the card away.

"Delilah. Put it down."

She looked at me, her eyes turning cold.

"Don't throw a tantrum in front of your elders."

"Who's making me look bad today?"

"Nobody's trying to make you look bad. You're the one turning normal bookkeeping into some kind of humiliation."

The moment she finished, Alden's phone buzzed on the edge of the table.

He glanced at the time, his face turning anxious.

"The hospital's reminding me I need my nutrition screening before two. Are we going to make it in time?"

Delilah stood.

"We leave now. You can't be late for the check."

Then she picked up the cake from the table.

"Alden's gone too long without eating, he gets low blood sugar easily. Take this to eat on the way."

After the door closed, all that was left on the table was an empty cake board.

My mother lowered her head to gather up the dishes. It was a long moment before she asked me.

"Jacob, the day you had your surgery. She wasn't there either, was she?"

I didn't answer.

That day, she hadn't sent a single message until the surgery was over, saying she was out of town and couldn't make it back.

My mother read the answer in my silence.

The hand holding the plate trembled.

The plate dropped into the sink and split in two.