The smell of the barbecue surrounded me, but it wasn’t as suffocating as Sarah’s shrill laughter. I stood by the grill, playing the role of the “failed,” “leeching” sister-in-law at my own brother’s lavish party.
“Look who’s being useful for once!” Sarah strode over, swirling an expensive glass of wine, making sure her friends could hear every word. “Hey girls, this is Evelyn. She used to be in the army. But now, her primary profession is ‘burger-flipping specialist’ and living off my husband’s paycheck. Quite a… brilliant career, wouldn’t you say?”
The women around her snickered. One of them added: “Don’t veterans get benefits? Or were you kicked out for being incompetent? You look… so disheveled, not like a Vance at all.”
I gripped the metal tongs, my eyes fixed on the flames. “I just want to live in peace with my son, Sarah. Don’t push it.”
“In peace? In MY house?” Sarah hissed. She suddenly snatched my old canvas bag from the chair, rummaging through it until she pulled out a faded black velvet box. When she popped it open, a silver star glinted in the summer sun. The Silver Star Medal.
“Oh my god, look at this!” Sarah roared with laughter, holding the medal up like a cheap toy. “Did you pick this scrap metal up at a pawn shop? Trying to pretend you’re a hero? Evelyn, you jump when the toaster pops—what kind of hero are you? Did you plan to trade this for a free bowl of soup at a homeless shelter?”
“Give it back. That is not something for you to mock,” I said, my voice dropping to a lethal calm.
“This fake piece of trash?” Sarah raised an eyebrow defiantly. “It’s just like you: worthless.”
With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed the medal into the red-hot coals. The red and blue ribbon caught fire instantly, hissing as it disintegrated into the ash.
“NO!”
My son, Noah, lunged forward. He couldn’t stand to see his mother’s honor burned. He reached toward the grill to save the medal.
“Get away, you little brat!” Sarah screamed. Instead of worrying about the child getting burned, she swung her hand and slapped Noah with full force.
CRACK!
The blow was so hard it sent Noah flying, his head hitting the hard concrete patio. He lay there, motionless, eyes closed. The entire party fell into a suffocating silence.
Sarah stood over him, unrepentant: “Serves you right! Like mother, like son—a bunch of poor, insolent leeches. Let me call my father, Chief Miller, to throw you both onto the street today!”
