The words came quietly enough that Nancy almost missed them.
Jessica turned toward him.
“Excuse me?”
Brian swallowed. His thumb left the rim of the cup.
“Put her plate back.”
“The children already ate from it.”
“Then we’ll order another.”
Jessica’s bracelet clicked against the glass.
“We are not wasting money because your mother wants to make a point.”
Nancy reached for her purse.
Brian moved as if to stop her, then kept his hands to himself.
“Mom, let me fix this.”
“You can order dinner,” Nancy said. “That’s what you can fix right now.”
The waitress stood a few feet away with a coffeepot. Brian raised his hand.
“Another steak dinner, please. For my mother.”
Jessica spoke before the waitress could answer.
“She doesn’t need another whole—”
“Yes,” Brian said. “She does.”
The waitress looked directly at Nancy.
“How would you like it cooked?”
“Medium.”
“And the same sides?”
Nancy nodded. Having someone wait for her answer made her throat tighten more than the insults had.
The waitress gathered the abandoned plate without comment.
Jessica waited until she had gone.
“You’re embarrassing me.”
Brian looked at the stale bread.
“I should have embarrassed you sooner.”
Nancy felt no satisfaction. The children were watching their parents, and her son’s hands were trembling.
“Enough here,” she said. “They need to finish eating.”
Jessica leaned toward her.
“You don’t get to start this and then decide when everybody stops.”
“I asked for my dinner.”
A small voice broke between them.
“Grandma didn’t invite herself.”
Tyler was looking at his father now.
Brian’s face changed.
Jessica’s hand stopped halfway to her napkin.
“Tyler, eat.”
“But Dad told you.”
