Natalie came out of the study with a thick binder in her hands.
“I didn’t make anything.”
The older woman blinked, as if she had heard a blasphemy.
“What do you mean you didn’t make anything?”
“Leo decided that everyone pays their own way. Your food is not my expense.”
Evan let out an uncomfortable laugh.
“Well, sister-in-law, don’t exaggerate. We are family.”
“Exactly, which is why I thought you would want to support Leo.”
Everyone looked at the man.
He was standing by the kitchen, with a loaf of white bread, two cans of tuna, and a bottle of soda on the counter.
“I thought Natalie was going to cook,” he muttered.
“After calling her a freeloader?” asked Aunt Carol.
Leo shot her a furious glare.
“That was a private argument.”
“You said it in front of your mother,” Natalie replied. “And she agreed.”
Mrs. Brenda left the bag of containers on a chair.
“You don’t have to be spiteful. A decent woman doesn’t leave her guests without food.”
“A decent woman also doesn’t accept food every week and then call the person who buys it a freeloader.”
Silence fell abruptly.
Melissa pretended to check her phone. The kids looked at the empty table with disappointment.
“So what are we going to eat?” asked Evan.
Natalie pointed to Leo.
“He invited you.”
Everyone looked back at him.
Leo opened a pantry cabinet. He found salt, two packets of instant soup, and a box of cereal on the side marked with his name.
“We can order something,” he said.
“Perfect,” Natalie replied. “Order whatever you want.”
Mrs. Brenda regained her smile.
“Order the usual BBQ, son.”
Leo took out his phone and calculated. Eight orders, drinks, sides, and delivery. Over a hundred and fifty dollars.
“We can order four and share.”
“The kids eat a whole one,” Melissa protested.
“Then chip in.”
Evan crossed his arms.
“You invited us.”
“I didn’t invite you. You come every Saturday.”
“Because Natalie always hosts us,” said Mrs. Brenda.
“Natalie is no longer supporting anyone,” she answered.
The phrase left a bitter taste in the room.
Leo ended up ordering four cheap pizzas. When he went to pay, his card was declined.
He tried another one.
It was also declined.
“It must be a bank error.”
“Use the supplementary card,” his mother suggested.
“It doesn’t exist anymore,” said Natalie.
Mrs. Brenda looked at her with genuine alarm.
“You canceled it?”
“It was an extension of my account.”
Leo paid with a transfer after emptying almost all the money he had left.
The pizzas took an hour. While they waited, no one knew what to say. Without food, without music, and without Natalie running between the kitchen and the table, the gathering looked like what it had always been: seven people invading a house to serve themselves for free.
When the order arrived, the kids took first. There was barely enough for two slices per adult.
Mrs. Brenda ate with an offended expression.
“This is not a family meal.”
“We agree on that,” said Natalie.
Later, Evan opened one of the containers.
“We can take the leftover slices.”
Leo pulled away the last one.
“There won’t be any leftovers.”
Natalie placed the binder on the table.
“Since we are all here, I want to show you something.”
“Don’t make another scene,” Leo warned.
“The scene has been going on for five years. I just brought the receipts.”
She opened the binder.
There were twelve dividers, one for each month of the last year. In each section, there were bank statements, transfers, receipts, invoices, and photos.
Natalie took out the first page.
“January. Mrs. Brenda’s refrigerator: nine hundred dollars.”
The woman stopped chewing.
“Leo told me he paid for it.”
“He called the repairman. I made the transfer.”
She took out another page.
“February. Uniforms, shoes, and school supplies for Evan’s kids: five hundred and fifty dollars.”
Melissa lifted her head.
“Leo sent us the receipt.”
“From my account,” Natalie replied.
“But he said it was a gift from him.”
“I know.”
Leo stood up.
“That’s enough.”
Natalie didn’t look at him.