and out of his chair in seconds, hands balled into fists as he marched toward her. She was up and walking away from him, surprisingly fast for someone who was sloshed.
"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on," Xavier exclaimed. His eyes were so wide all I could see were his pupils. I was just in the dark as he was.
Mom continued. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out."
Dad’s eyes narrowed to dark little slits. "Joy," he warned. "That is enough!"
"Did it ever occur to you where your red hair and freckles come from?" she asked me, ignoring my dad. She took a long pull of her clear liquid.
"What?" I said, my voice shaky. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Dad shoved one of the heavy dinner table chairs to the side. It fell hard with a clank. "Stop it, right now!" He glanced at Xavier and said, "Grab your mother." The table was so long that he couldn't catch her. He’d take one step, and she’d take one in the other direction.
"Where, Adrianna!" Mom yelled.
I started to shake and a crease formed between my eyes. I had wondered where it came from, but figured it came from another family member. It happened all the time.
"I assumed it came from Dad’s side of the family, just like Xavier's hair and eyes came from yours."
She snickered. "Your father is a womanizing whore, just like your mother was. A slut. Just. Like. You."
Chills zipped down my spine.
I was frozen to the core.
My jaw bobbed up and down. I tried to say ten different sentences at once but all I could muster was huge eyes and a tied tongue.
"My…my mother? But…" I stammered, my head was spinning, and I reached behind me to grab the arm of the chair and sat down. Bile rose in my throat. I looked to my dad, begging for help, then back at my mom as her words echoed in my head in that sickening, slimy tone she used. I searched her eyes for the truth.
Xavier's eyes hardened, and they scared me more than Dad’s. "Did you just call my sister a slut?" he asked, leaning forward with his head tilted to the side, demanding to know if he'd heard right.
"You will not speak of my daughter in that manner!" Dad’s boisterous voice boomed across the room. His white-knuckled fist slammed onto the table.
Mom snickered again and took a long sip, swallowing half the contents in one gulp, then held the glass near her face. She traced her bottom lip with the pad of her ring finger, her eyes trained solely on me.
"I know you're not talking about Adrianna like that," Xavier said.
"I'm warning you, Joy, do not do this because you're angry with me. Go take a nap or something."
Xavier grabbed Mom’s boney upper arms. She tried to yank herself away, but her vodka went flying and splashed onto the floor.
"Mom, you're drunk. Just stop," my brother pleaded as Dad reached them. Mom wasn't going anywhere. A scuffle started between the three. Words were thrown around and it was a clear effort to reel her in and stop her before it was too late.
I dazed off and stared at the marble floor. A slide show of moments flashed through my head, all scenes of my life when I questioned her actions, her comments, her coldness toward me. How I was nothing like her, how I could never be what she wanted, no matter how much I tried. I never did right. I was never enough. How my dad always had my back, how he gave me whatever I wanted and often disagreed with her.
I was beginning to pant at the realization. I couldn't breathe.
No…it couldn't be true.
She didn't mean it. She was just upset.
I looked up and scanned her bleach blonde hair. She had naturally dark roots, so I never questioned the hair, or the color of her eyes, or how our opinions were never on the same page. I never thought to. Many families were like mine with visible differences. Many mothers and daughters didn't get along.
"I'm done trying to keep this family together," she spat at Dad. "Done trying to make us look good when all you want is to ruin this name! I'm done covering up your lies and years of infidelity and making me out to be a fool. It's over! Over! The truth is coming out. You're nothing but a fake bastard!" she screamed like