Page 23 of Love & Other Disasters

“If that’s not enough there’s some grass and tree bark out back,” Violet said. It fell out of her mouth before she could stop it. Horror creased Jill’s face.

Dad roared with laughter; her mom gaped in shock.

“Violet,” Jill shrieked. “Do not make fun of him.”

Something inside Violet snapped whether it was due to the stress at work or because she was tired of being a wallflower. She didn’t stop to ponder.

“He’s a vegan and you bring him here with no warning to a meat eating home. And you are a meat eater. Last week you scarfed down half a chicken by yourself.” Jill winced and Geoff’s whirl around in her direction verified what she’d suspected.

“I said, I’m new to veganism,” Jill said.

“Jill, shame on you for putting him in this situation,” Violet continued, and since she was on a roll. “And Geoff, you cannot go into someone else’s home as a guest and expect that they change their entire lives just because you’ve walked in.” He opened his mouth, but her hand shot up. “Not done. If we knew you were coming and had dietary restrictions, we would have prepared more for you to eat.” Her hands trembled, and she clasped them together under the table. And relief washed over her. The room fell silent. They’d never seen this side of her.

“Well, excuse me for giving a shit about the world,” he grumbled and dumped half the salad on his plate.

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