He glanced at the relatives around us and lowered his voice to a hiss:
"Dad was dying anyway. Even if you'd been on that flight, you might not have made it in time!"
"I'm at a critical point for my promotion—can't you be more considerate?"
Scarlett casually patted my head.
"Come on, Elise, everyone dies eventually. I think Uncle went pretty peacefully. We're still alive—we should be happier, not so depressing."
"And don't blame Colin for yesterday. You know I'm impatient. I waited years for that game. I had to watch it."
"I really didn't expect Uncle to be so fragile—just like that, gone."
Fragile.
My dad fought his illness for three years, and in Scarlett's eyes it was just that one dismissive word.
I shot to my feet and swatted her hand away.
"Get out!"
Scarlett stumbled back two steps, playing innocent.
"Colin, look—Elise is worked up again. Why can't she take a joke? That temper of hers, you're the only one who puts up with it."
Colin pulled her behind him and frowned at me.
"Elise! She just speaks without thinking, but her heart's in the right place!"
"She came out of kindness to see Dad off—what kind of attitude is this?"
Watching him take her side, I was beside myself with rage.