AMELIA

Carl arrives on Monday, a day before Christmas Eve, and the house becomes full. He's the one who reads me but doesn't ask, not to mention he's still suspicious about the whole prison thing I called him about, but he still hasn't asked.

We're having dinner that Monday night when Mom brings up Jake, asking why he hasn't visited me up till now and if we've traveled back home together.

I don't know if he's come, I don't care. There's a high chance he's spending this year's holiday with his pregnant girlfriend or wife or whatever, so I dismiss the topic, asking Mom if she knows any place I could go get last-minute gifts, given the tree is up and she and Anthony have done a good job wrapping gifts.

"Yes, I think I need to get you guys something," Carl says next to me.

"Well, I do have a friend who owns a spa shop in a mall, I'd call him and hear," she blushes and we can already tell what she wanted for a gift.

I chuckle and shove a portion of mashed potatoes into my mouth.

"We are talking about shopping not getting our bodies treated, Mom," I play dumb and she quickly clears her throat.

"Yes yeah, I know. I am just trying to help with options," she dabs a napkin at the corner of her mouth, pouting, and Carl smiles at her, reaching to rub her hand.

"What's this place of your friend, called?" He asks her, and her joy returns.

"Quiet Day. I can send you the address, they do a lot of things there. They even have gift card details," she informs him and my eyes roll, while the men try holding back their smiles.

"Mom, seriously? I won't get you a spa gift card you already know about."

"What? How on earth can I know what you will get me?" She acts dumb.

"You practically just tell everyone you want a day spa gift card from Quiet Day," I point out.

"No, I didn't."

Denial!

"You know I think you deserve a spa day. So I will get you a gift card for Christmas," Carl tells her, and I swear her eyes light up, but here she goes, "Really? I do not want you stressing, darling. Spa isn't that necessary."

It's all lies and pretend. When Carl assures her it's fine, that she deserves it, she turns her head, feigning a cough but silently celebrates. It is not that hard to read her.

Carl kicks my shoe under the table, signaling at her, and we smile.

"The malls will be packed but they're open tomorrow," Anthony informs me.

The dinner is going on more impressive than it did the last two I had with just Mom and Anthony, and it's all thanks to Carl's presence, I have to give him credit for it.

"So honey, you didn't tell us how you and Jake are doing."

Of course, I jinx it. I had to commend the pace of the night, now I've jinxed it.

Just when I think everything is nice, one question takes everything downhill; the progress I made, the walls I built for acting like I was okay, everything I buried inside me and lived with for months, it all crashes. And now even the air in the room has shifted.

"Honey, are you okay?" Mom concernedly asks.

Perhaps this is the time to come clean.

"We broke up," I mumble, staring at my food.

"What?" Carl gasped in the sudden quiet, as everyone had pauses doing everything, so there was not even the sound of tableware hitting dishes.

"When I didn't see the ring, I thought as much. Oh, my baby. I warned you about that undeserving fool," Mom remarks, and I scoff, feeling the bitterness from the bile in my throat.

She hadn't been our relationship's biggest cheerer. All she had wanted was a day I would come with this news and here it is. She must have noticed quickly because she has made it a fetish of wanting the downfall of my relationship.

"And you won, Mom." My hoarse voice is a whisper; I'm choking on so many emotions in my throat.

"Oh, Amy. You misunderstood me. This isn't about me being right."

"You are lying," I grumble, tears spilling from my eyes, feeling the humiliation I had always wanted to avoid, but of course, Jake threw me to it. "I am full," I announce to the quiet table and get up.

"Amy?" She calls, faking care. This is all that she wanted ever since we got engaged; why would she be sad about it?

I ignore her, feeling so many emotions flooded within me that I just need space. My coat is hung by the entranceway; I collect it and exit the house.