Elena placed the wine bottle on the table. She didn’t look at Clara. She looked at her seven-year-old daughter, Lily, who was sitting quietly next to her empty chair.
“Mark is working on independent projects,” Elena said calmly. “He’s doing well.”
“Sure, sure,” Brenda waved a hand dismissively. “But let’s be real. David bought Clara a Tesla for Christmas. Mark sent… what? A card? He isn’t even here tonight.”
“He’s on a business trip,” Elena said. “He sends his love.”
“Business trip,” Robert, her father-in-law, grunted. “Probably hiding from creditors. It’s embarrassing, Elena. You should push him to get a real job. Maybe David can find him something in the mailroom at Nova.”
The table erupted in polite, cruel laughter.
Elena sat back down. She reached under the table and squeezed Lily’s hand. Lily looked up, her big brown eyes filled with confusion.
“Mommy,” Lily whispered. “Are they mad at Daddy?”
“No, sweetie,” Elena whispered back. “They just don’t understand Daddy’s work.”
“I don’t care about their cars,” Lily said softly, patting her backpack which sat on the floor. “I just want to show them my dress. The one you made. Can I put it on now? For the photos?”
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