THE EXILE TO THE HIGHWAY
“I’ll be in your town for a full week,” Lorraine announced over the kitchen speakerphone. “Business meetings. I’ll be staying with you, of course.”
My stomach dropped into a cold pit. A week of her spiteful barbs was a marathon I wasn’t prepared to run. But then, the true horror surfaced.
“You’ll have to tell Cassidy to stay somewhere else while I’m there,” she said, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “The garage, maybe. You know I don’t feel comfortable sharing a roof with… her.”
I waited for Jake to grow a spine. I waited for him to say, “Mom, this is Cassidy’s home.” Instead, he walked into the other room, speaking in hushed tones. An hour later, he approached me with eyes that refused to meet mine.
“Mom is being stubborn,” he muttered. “Could you… maybe stay in the garage? I’ll set up a mattress. You can light some scented candles. It’ll be like camping!”
