Rachel Asked Diane to Leave
Eric’s face changed immediately.
“Rachel.”
She looked at Diane.
“I think you should go home.”
Diane stared at her.
“You’re throwing me out?”
“Yes.”
“On Thanksgiving?”
“Yes.”
Eric stepped closer.
“Can we talk about this?”
Rachel turned toward him.
“We’ve been talking about this for three years.”
Diane picked up her purse.
“I can’t believe you’re letting her do this.”
Eric looked trapped.
And then he made the worst possible choice.
“Mom, wait.”
Rachel froze.
Diane did too.
Eric looked at Rachel.
“She shouldn’t drive home upset.”
Rachel answered quietly:
“Then you can drive her.”
The entire room went silent.
Eric Left With His Mother
That shocked everyone.
Including Rachel.
Eric took his mother’s keys.
He drove her home.
He said he’d be back in twenty minutes.
Rachel didn’t stop him.
Melissa stayed.
So did most of the guests.
Dinner eventually happened.
It wasn’t perfect.
The stuffing was Diane’s.
The sweet potatoes were Diane’s.
The cranberry sauce came from a can someone found in the pantry.
Rachel barely ate.
Twenty minutes became forty-five.
Then an hour.
Eric still wasn’t back.
Finally, at 5:10 p.m., he walked through the door.
Most people had finished eating.
Rachel was loading plates into the dishwasher.
Eric stood behind her.
“Can we talk?”
Rachel didn’t turn around.
“Sure.”
“Mom was crying.”
Rachel continued stacking plates.
“Okay.”
“She thinks you hate her.”
Rachel finally looked at him.
“I don’t hate her.”
“Then why did you kick her out?”
“Because she came into our house, threw away my food, insulted me, blamed me for changing you, and then acted like I was the problem.”
Eric said:
“She was wrong.”
Rachel waited.
Then:
“But?”
Eric sighed.
“But I think asking her to leave in front of everyone was humiliating.”
Rachel stared at him.
“So we’re back to me being the problem.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You keep saying both sides are wrong because that means you don’t have to choose.”
Eric went quiet.
Rachel said:
“But you already chose.”
