That told me everything I needed to know. He had told her. Of course he had. He had taken our private conversation—if a declaration in a car after a promotion dinner could be called a conversation—and fed it to Melanie as proof of his new authority.
“You’ve had it easy,” Melanie continued, eyes cold and amused.
Ellie looked up from her potatoes.
My daughter’s eyes moved from Melanie to Jason to me. She was too young to understand the words, but children hear tone before they understand meaning. She knew something sharp had entered the room.
I reached over and brushed a crumb from her cheek.
“I do admit it,” I said softly.
Jason’s eyebrows lifted.
Melanie blinked, then smiled wider. “Well. There we go.”
I set my fork down gently.
“You’re right, Melanie.”
Jason leaned back in his chair, surprise turning to satisfaction.
Because he thought I was agreeing with them.
What I was actually doing was giving him one last calm moment before his new reality arrived.
Jason chuckled. “Finally.”
Melanie waved her fork. “See? Even Nora admits it. Jason’s been carrying this whole thing.”
I looked at my husband.
He was smiling.
Not awkwardly. Not apologetically. Not like a man embarrassed by his sister’s cruelty.