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I point at Raquel, a lot more aggressively than I normally would, but this is partially her fault.

“With all due respect, stay out of this.”

Caleb puffs his chest out at that, and I roll my eyes. Men and their need to defend the women they think need defended. Although, Raquel does look like a wounded animal at my tone.

“Don’t talk to her like that. This concerns her, that’s why she’s here.”

“Where our daughter spends her time is not your girlfriend’s concern.”

My mom now steps behind me suddenly, and putsherhand on my shoulder.

Why is everyone treating me likeI’mthe problem?

I’m angry enough that my initial reaction is to pull away, but I realize quickly enough that I don’t want to be taking this anger out on anyone but Caleb.

He’s always been a big child, always stooped lower than I thought possible, but it’s been a long time. Long enough that I was fooled into believing it was possible for him to have changed.

Fuck that. He had no right to recruit my parents to gang up on me. I know exactly what it’s regarding to, and I don’t want my six-year old to leave the country. I think that’s pretty understandable.

“Okay, I see that I was misled here.” She gives him a pointed glance. “Why don’t you two wait out there, and let the two of us talk?”

He looks like he wants to argue, but Raquel places a hand on his arm. “Of course,” she says. “We’ll wait here, not a problem.”

I keep my eyes on the ground as they take a step back from the entryway, not trusting myself to look at his stupid, annoying face. I’m not typically violent, but I’m feeling that way right now.

When my mom spins me around by the shoulder, I hate that frustrated tears fill my eyes. I can’t hit anything, so I guess this is the best my body could do.

“Oh, honey.” She pulls me into a tight hug, and rubs soothing circles between my shoulder blades. “I’m sorry I jumped into this without questioning him. Your father and I just want to keep the peace between all of us. We don’t want Dahlia to deal with family that refuses to interact with each other.”

I pull away to look at her.

“I respect that, mom. I even appreciate it, but did he tell you why you’re here?”

“Because you’re being ‘unreasonable’—“ she uses air quotes for the word— “about some vacation they want to take her on?”

“To Canada! For an entire month.”

She nods, pondering.

“That is a lot,” she agrees.

“Too much for her age.”

She switches to shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, but I disagree with that part.”

I throw my hands up, miming my head exploding.

“How is that not too much? In what world? In what way? She can’t go more than few days without me, and he definitely–”

I’m interrupted by her finger in front of my lips.

“I think it’syouthat can’t go a few days withouther.”

“That’s true, too! So, what?” I shout.

She moves to sit down, keeping her cool. I don’t think she has another setting. Even when she’s driving me crazy and overstepping into my life, she’s always socalmabout it.