18: Homecook

CHRISTY:

I. Am. Heavy.

I knew I was heavy, but hearing it from Everette was like an insult to me. Funny how Mom had called me fat numerous times already, but hearing them from his mouth was like a punch in my gut.

Gathering all my strength, I pushed him all my might.

Caught off guard, Everette nearly fell on his chair.

“Do you really have to body shame me?”

His brows formed a straight line.

“It was true that you’re heavy. I was not lying.”

My hands shook. “Mom was not enough and now, you have to add to the number of people bullying me!”

“Bullying you? I’m not—”

“If my weight is that big of a deal to you, you should have told me about it.”

It seemed as if he had become sober. Realization dawned on Everette.

“Tina…I’m not bullying you. I accept your weight. It’s never an issue.”

He straightened himself and tried to approach me. I stepped backward, glaring at him.

“You are treating me like a fool right now. Everyone treated my weight as an issue!”

All my relatives from Mom’s side would