So Much for My Happy Ending Read Online Free PDF Page B

you show it where you keep the bread?”
    â€œExactly!”
    â€œSo, your grocery bill has gone up since you joined this church?”
    â€œTemple. I would never join a church.”
    â€œOf course not, but a pagan cult, that’s okay.”
    â€œIt sounds fascinating,” Tad said. “I’ve always felt that too many people get so wrapped up in the biblical religions that they lose sight of life’s true essence.”
    I sat there gawking at him. He had “always” felt this? By “always” did he mean for the last five minutes?
    He tapped his finger against the edge of my mother’s plate. “You should taste your appetizer, Kate, I think you’ll like it.” At least he didn’t immediately offer to sacrifice his table to the termites.
    Mom gently pierced her food with her fork. “Is it vegetarian?”
    Tad offered her a display of pearly whites. “Vegan.”
    â€œOkay, that’s it.” My chair crashed to the floor as I jumped to my feet. I glared at Tad. “I don’t know if I need to take you to an exorcist or a rehab clinic, but if you don’t snap out of it right now, this engagement is off!”
    My mother clapped her hand over her heart. “Engagement? Honey, are you two getting married?”
    â€œNot unless…” But no one was listening to me. Tad and Mom were hugging and kissing. She was choking back contrived sobs and he was laughing like an idiot. Finally Mom turned to me and placed her hands on both of my cheeks.
    â€œOh, honey, I’m so happy for you.” She sighed and cocked her head to the side. “Of course, you know how I feel about the institution of marriage, but if you believe that you need a piece of paper to bind you together then so be it. The important thing is you have found a truly wonderful man and I just know that the two of you will be happy.”
    â€œI’m not happy.”
    â€œThat’s wonderful, sweetie.”
    Why was I even there? If I had skipped dinner and sent an inflatable sex doll in my place would anyone have noticed?
    Tad righted my chair and held it out for me gallantly. “I know we all have a lot to talk about, but at this rate our food is going to spoil before we taste it.”
    And then I did something unspeakably horrible. I sat down. I didn’t scream at them for ignoring me; I didn’t rail against them for showing so little regard for my feelings; I just sat down and ate my dinner. I listened to my mother tell Tad about the sixty or so holidays observed by the Children of the Earth: one for the fish, another for the invertebrates and so on. I stared blankly at Tad as he asked about the power of rose quartz. I did flinch when my mother asked if we would consider allowing her to marry us on a nude beach at midnight, but actually found myself mollified when Tad told her that I had the final say when it came to the wedding arrangements. I idly wondered what new narcotic had brought about my mother’s current sense of enlightenment, because when it came to my mother there was almost always a drug involved, but I didn’t express my concern. Every once in a while I’d throw out a question but I didn’t push it when they were evaded, or out and out ignored. This was all wrong. Tad was supposed to be the sane and stable part of my life that made me feel safe. He was not supposed to be my mother’s twin. But I couldn’t get myself to challenge him now. If he sided with her against me and she saw it…I just wasn’t strong enough to handle that. By the time dinner was over I felt nothing but a dull resentment directed not only at them but also at myself.
    Finally the torture session came to an end and Mom stood up to make her farewells. “You two just have to come down to Santa Cruz soon. If you let me, I’ll arrange a time for the priestess to bless your union. It’s a lovely little ceremony, and all you have to