Chapter 21
Ruby and Ethan stopped speaking when Ruby was fourteen.
This time the adults caused none of it.
Mostly.
The argument began with Valentina.
Ethan was seventeen.
He had been seeing his mother regularly for years.
Ruby had not.
At Anna’s birthday dinner, Ruby heard Ethan say:
“She’s different now.”
Ruby turned.
“Who?”
He knew immediately.
“My mom.”
Ruby’s face hardened.
“Okay.”
Ethan heard the tone.
“You don’t believe me.”
“I didn’t say.”
“You did face.”
Apparently everyone had one.
Ruby continued eating.
Ethan should have stopped.
He did not.
“She is.”
Ruby looked at him.
“To you.”
“Yes.”
“That’s not me.”
“I know.”
“Then why tell?”
“Because you act like she’s still the same person forever.”
Ruby put down her fork.
“She wanted me on floor.”
“I know.”
“She packed my things.”
“I know.”
“She used you.”
“I know.”
“Then stop saying different like I need do something.”
Ethan became angry.
“I didn’t.”
“You want me forgive.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I want you to understand she changed.”
Ruby stood.
“I don’t care.”
That hurt him.
He stood too.
“She’s still my mother.”
Ruby looked at him.
“I know.”
“Doesn’t sound like it.”
Then the sentence that ended the night.
“You only want me as your brother when I agree with you about her.”
Ruby went still.
Ethan regretted it immediately.
Too late.
She left the table.
They did not speak for six weeks.
Domenico wanted to intervene.
Daniel wanted to intervene.
Anna threatened both men.
“They are teenagers.”
“This involves Valentina.”
“So?”
“It’s different.”
Anna looked at Domenico.
“Everything is different when you want control.”
Unfair.
Also useful.
No adult arranged a reconciliation.
Ruby and Ethan avoided one another.
Birthdays passed separately.
Then Ethan sent a message.
I SHOULDN’T HAVE MADE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MOM ABOUT ME.
Ruby read it.
Waited three days.
Then answered.
I SHOULDN’T HAVE SAID I DON’T CARE. I CARE THAT SHE’S YOUR MOM. I JUST DON’T WANT HER.
Ethan replied:
I KNOW.
Nothing else.
A month later, Ruby asked if he wanted coffee.
He did.
They argued again.
Less badly.
Ethan said:
“You don’t have to forgive her.”
Ruby answered:
“You don’t have to hate her for me.”
That was the actual repair.
Not agreement about Valentina.
Permission to disagree without treating disagreement as betrayal.
The relationship survived.
Different now.
More adult.
Less automatic.
Domenico learned about the coffee after it happened.
That irritated him.
Ruby noticed.
“You wanted schedule?”
“No.”
“You did.”
Maybe.
The children he had once protected from adult definitions were becoming adults capable of making choices without consulting him.
May you like
That was the point.
Unfortunately.
