Chapter 1 – An Invitation Too Sweet
Rachel had treated me like an embarrassing mistake for all three years I’d been married to her brother, Alan. He worked for a major technology company; I waited tables at Rosie’s Diner downtown and attended evening classes at Riverside Art Institute. Alan respected my determination, but Rachel saw only the difference between his salary and my apron.
At the previous family Christmas party, she had announced beside the eggnog that Alan could have chosen someone with better prospects. He defended me, but her words stayed with me. So when Rachel called the following Tuesday and invited me to her son Ashton’s eighth birthday, I nearly dropped the paintbrush in my hand.
She called me family for the first time and told me to dress comfortably. Against my better judgment, I let myself hope she was trying to make peace. On Saturday, I wore my best jeans and the blue sweater Alan loved. I also brought Ashton a beginner’s art set with watercolors and brushes. I had saved for it after noticing how closely he watched me sketch at family dinners.
Alan squeezed my hand outside Rachel’s immaculate colonial in Maplewood Heights. Inside, children laughed while stylish mothers gathered around polished tables. Rachel greeted me in a pressed sundress, air-kissed my cheek, and immediately pulled me into the spotless kitchen.
“I need one tiny favor,” she said, tightening her fingers around my arm.
