“Honey, you need to learn to stand up for yourself.”
“Huh?”
“I mean it. How much of Blythe’s crap have you put up with over the years? My guess is that it’s been a lot. She doesn’t want to talk to you? Send her an email. Say you’re sorry you didn’t tell her how you felt about Billy. You don’t have to say anything more than you’re sorry. We all need to accept that you need time and space too, in the same way everyone else does.”
“I can’t, Mom.”
“You can, and you have to. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but the days of Renie-the-doormat are over. I won’t stand for it any longer.”
“I am a doormat sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“Back off, Mom, I’m agreeing with you.”
“Good. So apologize and tell her to get over it. Tell her she owes you some slack. Demand it.”
Renie looked at Willow. “Gah-ma’s feisty today!”
Liv kept Willow entertained while Renie used her laptop to send Blythe an email.
“Okay, done,” she said a few minutes later.
“Good. Do you feel better?”
“I do, but at the end I begged a little. I want her to come for Thanksgiving. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Speaking of Thanksgiving…has Billy talked to you about it?”
“About what?”
“He asked Ben to invite Jace and his family.”
“He did what?”
“I was afraid this would be your reaction.”
Liv was back to keeping Willow occupied while Renie called Billy.
“Billy, why would you do this? And more importantly, why didn’t you discuss it with me first?”
“I know, I shoulda talked to you about it. But Renie, it felt like the right thing to do.”
“Why?”
“Now wait a minute, girl. Aren’t you the one who told me you and Jace were friends? Doesn’t make sense that you’re gettin’ this upset about me invitin’ one of your friends to join us for Thanksgiving.”
“Just because I said we were friends doesn’t mean we should start spending holidays with him.”
“Listen, he’s Ben’s cousin—”
“Who up until last month he hadn’t seen for years.”
“As I was saying before you interrupted me, which was rude by the way, he helped me, Renie. He didn’t have to do that.”
She still didn’t know what that meant. Billy told her Jace called him, but not much more than that. Were they friends now too? That might be a little awkward.
“Doesn’t matter anyway, sugar. The deed’s done.”