Page 96 of Anyone But the Superstar

‘Hit him again, T-money.’ Chase pushes past Thomas and through the door, his attempt to kick Felix while he’s down impeded by my other sister-in-law, Bell, jumping on his back.

‘Fight!’ Mary, my niece, pokes her head around the door frame and into the room behind Thomas, only for an arm with multiple diamond tennis bracelets to pull her back before she can slip through.

Mother.

I witness all of this as if my internal pause button has been pushed.

‘What the fuck?’

‘Who the hell are you?’

‘Stop!’

‘Let me see!’

‘Don’t you ever talk to my sister like that.’

‘Calm down.’

‘Get ’em, Daddy!’

Chaos revolves around me as I remain rooted to the floor, the only other sound penetrating is the echoing thump in my hollow chest.

Then a new voice enters the fray, yelling about lawsuits. Another few whacks that are probably landed punches. And then, silence.

Until slender hands grip my shoulders, their touch gentle. ‘Elizabeth?’ A light squeeze. ‘Lizzie, dear?’

Mother.

Something smooth and warm winds its way around my legs.Mike.

Slowly, I come back to the moment. To myself. To a sequined cat t-shirt – half King Dick Moore, half Mike Hunt.

I blink, raising my eyes until the details of my mother’s face come into focus. ‘Mom?’

Thomas steps up beside her, his lip split. ‘Hello, Elizabeth.’ His sequined shirt flipped to King Dick Moore.

‘Hey, Lizzie.’ Chase takes Mom’s other side, making small jazz hands. ‘Surprise.’ His shirt, unsurprisingly flipped to Mike Hunt.

My eyes cut toward the doorway where Bell, Alice, and Mary are gathered. Each wearing their own sequined cat t-shirt that I’d sent them. Half of them flipped to Mike Hunt. The other half King Dick Moore.

‘The t-shirts.’ My smile feels wobbly. ‘You’re wearing them.’ My eyes blurry.

Everyone but Mother glances down at their chest, as if trying to figure out why that, of all things, is what I’ve chosen to focus on.

Mother keeps her eyes on me. ‘I’ve missed you, my sweet Lizzie.’

It’s then that the floodgates open. The hurt, the guilt, the shame, even the love and loss that I’ve kept at bay over the past year surging in, filling my chest until I can’t hold onto it any longer.

And as the tears fall, I’m held tight by a group of sequined pussies.

24

LIZ

‘Who did Daddy punch?’

Mary’s question breaks through the strangely comfortable silence that my family has kept after Felix went full douchebag and Thomas went fullFight Club.