Chapter 8
*****
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When Natasha walked in, Madeline jumped up. “Natasha! Come sit, we made your favorite— macaroni cheese.”
Natasha glanced at the table, her face flat. “That’s Olivia’s thing. Not mine.”
She was all about spicy food. Always had been. As a kid, Andrew and her brother Thomas would tease her with hot sauces, laughing when she’d gasp and fan her mouth, then fuss over her with
milk or soda.
Madeline would end up chewing them out. But when Olivia arrived–born early, fragile, needing special meals–the Clark table went bland to cater to her.
Madeline’s smile wavered, then bounced back. “No biggie. We’ve got plenty of food. If you’re not into it, I’ll have the kitchen whip up something else.”
Natasha didn’t bite. She dropped into a chair and locked eyes with Andrew. “You said we’d talk about Grandma’s house. Let’s do it.”
Andrew’s face tightened. “Can’t you relax ‘til after dinner? You’re acting like you’re here to collect a debt.”
Natasha just pressed her lips together.
“Hey, wrong seat,” Noel said, strolling in from gaming upstairs. “That’s Olivia’s spot.”
The Clark table had a setup: Madeline and Andrew on one side, the three kids on the other. Olivia always sat between Thomas and Noel–Natasha’s old spot, taken when she was six.
“Didn’t know we started labeling chairs,” Natasha shot back. “What if I wanna stay?”
“It’s just a seat,” Olivia said, flashing a quick smile to smooth things over. “Let her have it.”
Noel glared but backed off when he remembered the cops mentioning Natasha’s injury. He muttered something and sank into his chair,
Olivia’s smile tightened, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.
With the family feeling guilty about Natasha, she wasn’t about to stir the pot.
Thomas didn’t want to sweat the small stuff, but seeing Olivia at the table’s end, he spoke up. “Olivia, take my spot.”
“No need,” Madeline cut in, waving a maid over. “Grab a chair for Olivia, put it by me.”
No one blinked when Natasha got stuck with the end seat. But Olivia? Suddenly it was a tragedy, and the whole family scrambled to fix it.
