In the dim light of the street lamps I could see her sitting in her car. She was crying, a cell phone clutched in one of her hands. I walked up and tapped on the window.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
She looked up at me for a moment, than spoke into the phone. “Now she’s here.”
“Mom, who are you talking to? Will you please just talk to me?”
She listened to the phone for a moment, then opened the window a crack. “You did this to me on purpose.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, the volume of my voice rising. “What are you talking about?”
“My brother isn’t here.”
“For fuck’s sake Mom, your brother is in Thailand. He couldn’t be here, you knew that.”
She started sobbing noisily. “You’re such a lying bitch. You did this to me to hurt me, just like you always do.All you do is ruin my life.”
I didn’t answer. She went back to talking on the phone and I meant to go back to the party. Instead I locked myself in the bathroom of the restaurant and cried.
The next morning I looked for her, but she didn’t come to my wedding.