his wake. My whole life, I watched him do it. I watched him belittle my grandmother Eleanor until she wasted away, her heart giving out long before it should have. I

from the lake behind his house after Arthur, drunk and arrogant, fell in. David saved him, but the strain on his heart was too much. He collapsed on the shore and n

ace I had built from scratch. I believed in the good in people, and some small, stupi

on curd and buttercream, his supposed favorite. I spent a week searching for the perfect gift and found a beautiful, h

e whole family was there, walking on eggshells as usual. I wal

dpa!" I said, setting

He squinted at me, his ey

late," h

transport safely," I explained gently.

table to hear. "You think a cake makes up for disrespect? I

e's not late. We're all just a little

bake shop? I heard you're selling glorified cupcakes for ten dollars a pop.

steady. "My business is doing very well,

siness. Frivolous. You should have been a nurse or a teac

aring this kind of talk his whole life. He' d learned that silen

. "Well, let's open some presents! Ava

im the long, wrapped box. "I

e and stared at it. For a second, I thought I saw a flick

n on the table, making

roared. "Are you ca

ot! It's... it's a walking stic

lotchy red. "You wish I was weak, that I needed this! You'

ockwave through the table. Aunt Caro

nally boiling over. The hope I' d carried into the room moments before n

spat, his eyes wide with fury