I can hardly hear the words everyone is saying. It’s like I’m underwater. But suddenly I hear Billy say, “And tell him about last night.”

“Last night?” Mom repeats. “What happened last night?”

Billy turns to Pop. “Your wife, as I’m sure you’re aware, is simply amazing. She was the star of the awards ceremony.”

“Oh, well, she’s always a star in my book,” Pop says. She puts her hand over his and smiles at him.

But Billy’s not done. “But she wore heels. All night.”

Pop turns to Mom with a kind of mock surprise. “My wife wore heels?”

“I regretted it, trust me,” Mom says. “I’m still regretting it.”

“You were pretty, Mama,” Abby says. “You talked good, too.”

“Thank you, bug,” Mom says. She looks at Billy again. “But I wasn’t the only one who was amazing last night. You, if I remember correctly, won a ‘distinguished service’ award last night.”

Oh god, I think. I’m glad I missed that.

Pop raises his eyebrows. “Congrats, Bill. What did you win it for?”

Billy waves his hand, like it’s not important. “It’s complicated,” he says. Like maybe Pop isn’t smart enough to understand it. He looks at Mom knowingly. “Let’s just say, I won it for my ‘distinguished service’ in my field.”

My blood starts to heat. Every sentence, every flirty word that passes between my mother and Billy Wong right in front of Pop like this is transforming me from girl into volcano, filling me with white hot magma, the pressure building.

My phone buzzes. Afton this time.

Be cool. You don’t want to freak in front of everyone.

My thumbs whips across the surface of my phone. Mind your own fucking business, I write.

Down the table, I see Afton turn her phone facedown.

Mom is still talking about the stupid award. “I don’t know if I’d call it distinguished, though. I’m just saying.”

Billy’s still smiling that nice-guy smile. “I will have you know, Aster, that I am extremely distinguished. Ask anybody.”

“No,” says Peter. “I don’t know what distinguished is, but I’m pretty sure you’re not it, Dad.”

“Yes, he is,” says Josie.

“He is,” Jenny agrees sweetly, because everything Jenny does is sweet, poor dear Jenny who has no idea.

All eyes then turn to Michael, who has until now been texting on his phone. He glances up. “Uh, I plead the fifth, Dad,” he says. “But I do think you’re a great guy.”

“Gee, thanks, son,” says Billy.

Mom pats Billy arm. “Aw, now, everybody’s always so hard on Billy.”

He smirks at her. “You most of all.”

She puts a hand to her chest, her blue eyes widening. “Me? I would never—”

I clutch the edge of the table. “Stop,” I murmur.