—I have never invited anyone to dinner on my tab.
—But you always did.
-Not.
I stopped.
—Because I didn’t want every family dinner to turn into an argument.
She looked at the piece of paper.
— So it’s about money.
-NO.
I shook my head.
—Because they stopped asking.
The difference seemed to bother her more than the amount of the bill.
My father-in-law was silent for a few seconds.
Then he looked at Chris.
—Since when has this been happening?
Chris didn’t answer.
—How long have you been letting her pay for everyone?
—It’s not that I left her.
—So what did you do?
Chris took a deep breath.
—She never complained.
I felt a twinge of disappointment, even though I already knew I could say something like that.
Because that answer turned my silence into permission.
And that’s exactly what she decided to change.
