Not because messes didn’t happen — because I cleaned every one of them before you ever had to see it.”
I heard his breath catch.
“So what do you want me to do?
You know how my mother is.
She runs her mouth, but she doesn’t mean it, not deep down.”
I laughed, softly, without any warmth in it.
“Then she’s yours to manage now.
You’re the one who texted me to let it go.
You’re the one who said I make things a bigger deal than they are.
So — enjoy the little details, Shane.” I ended the call, and that night, under a duvet that didn’t smell of stale smoke and dread, I slept more deeply than I had in five years.