I dragged them one by one into the front hallway, right by the front door.
I wasn’t going to have a screaming match over the phone.
If they wanted answers, they were going to have to come to my turf.
And this time, I was setting the rules.
Midafter afternoon, the phone rang again.
This time I picked up.
“Mom, what is going on?”
Trevor’s voice sounded exhausted, thick with that suppressed frustration he always defaulted to when he was trying to dodge a real problem.
“I’m cooking, Trevor. What do you mean?” I answered, wedging the phone between my shoulder and ear as I put some dishes away.
“The card, the vendors. Sloan is absolutely hysterical. We had to leave the wine at the register. She says you canled the Christmas Eve catering. Mom, we have 20 confirmed guests. You can’t just do this to us at the last minute.”
I set the plate down on the counter and took the phone in my hand.
“I haven’t done anything to you, honey. Your wife called me yesterday to let me know my presence wasn’t required at dinner. I simply acted accordingly. I’m not bankrolling a banquet I’m not invited to.”
“She didn’t mean it like that,” Trevor stammered, desperately looking for an easy out. “You know how she gets with holiday stress. She just wanted this year to be a little more exclusive without—”
“Without me,” I finished the sentence for him without a shred of pity in my tone.
“I completely understand, and I respect your decision. That’s exactly why I removed myself from the planning. You’re both adults. You can cook your own dinner or hire someone with your own money.”
“Mom, please just call the caterer back. I’ll pay for it. But just put your card down to secure the reservation, and I’ll Venmo you. We just don’t have the cash to float this right now.”
“No. The bank of mom is closed. Trevor, have a good afternoon.”
I hung up.
I didn’t stare at the phone or wait for him to call back.
I walked into the dining room and looked at the massive dining table I had bought two years ago just to accommodate their sprawling guest lists.
I made a mental note to call a consignment shop on Monday to sell it.
I was ready to claim my space back.
The knock at the door came just before dusk.