much.”
Derek’s mouth tightened.
“You’re making this difficult.”
Charlotte sighed.
“We love you. We just don’t want you embarrassing yourself.”
Then Dad said the line that finally made the whole week clear.
“We don’t want you embarrassing us.”
The valet looked down.
A couple near the entrance slowed just enough to hear.
My mother whispered, “Gerald.”
But she did not disagree.
I looked at each of them.
Derek, satisfied.
Brittany, bored.
Charlotte, sad in a way that still left me alone.
Mom, pleading.
Dad, waiting for obedience.
“Okay,” I said.
