I went because I loved Donna and Craig.
I refused to let Jake pretend I was punishing them for his choices.
Donna hugged me warmly.
Craig pulled out my chair.
Jake kept his eyes lowered, and the framed display had disappeared.
After several uncomfortable minutes, Donna laid down her fork.
“Where’s the estimate, Jake?”
“Not tonight, Mom. I need a night away from that stupid car. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You said the damage wasn’t serious,” she replied. “So, show us.”
Craig cleared his throat.
“We can discuss it later. Let’s eat.”
Jake visibly relaxed.
There it was again.
The same family pattern.
Delay the problem long enough for someone else to absorb the consequences.
I placed my napkin beside my plate.
“Happy anniversary,” I told Donna and Craig. “I mean that. You two deserve so much joy.”
Donna frowned.
“You’re leaving, honey?”
“Yes.”
Jake let out a quiet laugh.
I turned to face him.
“You damaged my car, refused to pay, and expected everyone here to make me feel guilty for mentioning it. I’m not doing that part anymore. It’s disrespectful, and frankly…it hurts.”
Then I walked toward the door.
Timothy immediately followed.
“Elle, wait.”
I stopped near the driveway.
He came to a halt a few feet away.
“When I was 19, Jake borrowed my first car. He scraped the passenger side against a concrete post.”
“What happened?”
“My parents paid for it. They told me not to hold a grudge.”
“You remember every detail.”
He nodded slowly.
“Disappointing Jake always became a family crisis.”
“And disappointing me?”
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