Lucas set his fork down slowly.
I expected Lucas to stay quiet like he always had.
Instead, he said something none of us saw coming.
"I know what I know,"
"Auntie," he said, "I think you should go."
She blinked, genuinely startled.
"Excuse me?"
"I said I think you should go. It's my birthday. This isn't the time."
She recovered quickly, forcing a laugh.
"Well. Clearly your sibling has poisoned you against me. But we'll talk about this soon, Lucas. Very soon. There are papers to sign, and lawyers involved. This isn't going away."
"I think you should go."
She grabbed her purse and stormed toward the front hall.
The remaining relatives made quick, awkward excuses and followed her out within minutes.
The door clicked shut.
I stood in the middle of the dining room, staring at the half-eaten cake, my hands shaking.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry, Lucas. I wanted tonight to be perfect."
