Nobody spoke. Eventually Vanessa managed a whisper.
“I can’t believe you’d say that to me.”
“Neither can I. But I can’t pretend this is right.”
Instead, Vanessa abruptly offered a concession.
“Fine. I’ll stop charging you.”
Ethan remained silent.
“There. Problem solved.”
Now he seemed drained rather than reassured.
“Vanessa,” he said, “what happens the next time we disagree?”
“What?”
“If I say something you don’t like, will you threaten to tell my coworkers again?”
“Stop bringing that up.”
“That’s my point.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“You’re really going to throw away our relationship over dinner?”
“It stopped being about dinner when I became afraid to tell you no.”
He addressed both mothers, his voice unsteady but deliberate.
“I need you both to understand something.”
“I didn’t invite you because I wanted you to fight for me.”
“I invited you because I was starting to believe I really was selfish. I needed to say everything out loud, where nobody could change what I’d said afterward.”
