Chapter Thirty-Nine

Mom doesn't take her eyes off me as I sit down.

I catch myself over analyzing her demeanor and facial expressions. She looks exhausted; she didn't sleep last night. If she did, she slept very little. Negative emotions begin brewing within me. I don't like where this is going and she hasn't said a single word to me yet.

The smoke from her cigarette tickles the back of my throat. I ignore it as I sit down, even though my eyes sting and water. She gives me a level look and I try to match it. I opted not to ignore her but that doesn't mean that I will let her pin all the blame on me as she has tried to so many times before. I meant what I told her last night. This is her fault. If not entirely, then partly.

She should never have spread those rumors. She should never have assured Mary that she would marry Luca.

She finishes her cigarette and lights another before she speaks. I sit watching her patiently. I tell myself to be calm. Finally, she looks at me and says, "Your sister isn't we