She chuckles. “I know, dear.”

“I’m going to miss him,” I admit as I brush his hair back off his forehead.

“You’re a good mother, Katrina.”

My eyes prick, but before I can thank her for the nicest words she’s ever spoken to me, she takes a step toward the door.

“Now get out of here and we’ll call later tonight to check in.”

I drive to my parents’ house still upset about Victor and trying to decide how I’m going to handle it. I’ve never hidden how I feel about his half-assed parenting effort, but I’ve never really talked to him about it either.

My mother, her best friend Lisa, and my sister sit outside on the porch when I pull up. Red wine in hand, a paperback copy of Big Little Lies sits between them.

“Book club?” I smirk as I walk up the stairs.

They giggle like teenagers.

“Let me guess, none of you actually finished the book?”

“Well we did try,” Lisa says.

My mom stands to greet me and clutches me to her chest. “I was hoping you’d bring Christian.”

“I had to drop him at Nadine’s for his week-long visit with Victor.”

“Here, you probably need this more than I do then.” She pushes the glass toward me, and I take a gulp and then cough.

“It’s an acquired taste,” she says taking the glass back.

“Was Christian excited to see Victor?”

I sit down on the porch swing and wrap a hand around the chain that holds it to the ceiling. “He wasn’t there.”

“What?”

I shake my head. “He’s here, just playing in some softball game this afternoon.”

I stomp my feet and make an annoyed growl in my throat. They stare at me like I’ve lost my mind because I never lose my shit in front of them. Call it self-preservation, but I don’t want to show them how right they might have been about me needing more help. “Sorry, I’m just so frustrated. I thought him moving back here was going to be good for Christian, but it’s the same shit. I invited him to Christian’s soccer practice, and he told me he was busy.”

“By all means, yell, scream, just do it to him,” my mom says as she flails the hand not carrying her wine.

“What?”

“You’ve been letting him get away with it for far too long if you ask me.”

“But you’ve never said anything.”

“Wasn’t my place. Still isn’t. This has been going on for three years. More than that, really, he couldn’t even make it to most of the doctor appointments.” Some of those I may not have told him about, but it feels unproductive to share that now. “You knew Victor wasn’t the most reliable young man from the beginning. I thought at some point you’d stand up to him for Christian’s sake instead of trying to be super mom. You can’t be all things for everyone.”

My mother huffs as if she’s the one truly put out by Victor. “I’m going to get more wine.”