Her Big Neighbor

“Edward wanted a tour of the house,” I say, thankful that he came up with that very convenient excuse. “What’s going on?”

“We’re almost out of ice for drinks. We’re going to need more. And I’m worried that we’re going to run out of a couple of the appetizers.”

“Want me to go get some?”

I’m already stepping towards the door when Edward holds out a hand. “Jane, let me help. I’d be happy to go get what you need. It’d be a shame for you to be without your right hand woman.”

Mom pauses, and appraises Edward like she’s not sure if he’s serious, but she grants him a small smile. “That would be very nice of you Edward, thank you. I’ll write down what we need.”

She scribbles a note on the pad on her desk and hands it to him. Edward breaks out the most charming smile that I’ve ever seen on his face. “Excellent. I’ll be back before you even notice that I’m gone.” He smiles at me, and then heads out the door.

I don’t think he realizes how many points he just scored with my mom. Or maybe he does. But even if there were no points to be gained, Edward would do it anyway. He loves helping people. It’s one off the reasons he loves his job so much. He gets to help people create their dreams, and create products that make a difference. No matter what it is, he loves to make a difference. And that is really special.

“This is going really well, Mom. Congratulations.”

The smile she gives me is the wide and truly genuine. “It’s going better than I could have hoped, honestly. I think we’ll have a lot of good commitments by the end of the night.”

“Is there anything that you need me to do before Edward gets back?”

“Nothing in particular,” she says. “If you see anyone without the hand-outs, you can give them one and run through the talking points. I’m going to put out the rest of the food that we have.”

I nod. “Got it.”

Most of the people that are currently here are familiar with our talking points: giving teachers the resources to help under-privileged kids directly in the classroom. That includes books, extra money for lunches, and any other resources that they might need. The plan is to work directly with individual teachers in communities to find out what suits their needs rather than taking a one-gift-fits-all approach.

Mom has planned to start with the local high school and elementary school, so when the principals show up together, I find her right away. I don’t want to be the one to run them through the stuff. She’s the face of the organization, so she needs to be their point of contact.

Of course she’s perfect, funny and charming, nearly sweeping them off their feet immediately. I’m watching from the corner, enjoying the sight of her being a badass, when I see her falter. Her face falls completely. It’s like she’s seen a ghost. Anger flashes across her face too, and then it’s gone and she’s being charming again.

“Hey,” Edward’s voice comes from behind me. “We’ve got the stuff.”

His arms are full of bags of ice, and his brother is behind him holding several bags of fruit and vegetable plates and the other finger foods my mom asked him to pick up. He looks angry too, but I don’t want to ask him about it in front of everyone. I’m sure it has something to do with his brother. “Let’s take it to the kitchen.”

We weave through the foyer—which is getting a little crowded—and down the hallway and into the kitchen. “Thank you,” I say. “For doing this. It’s really helpful.”

“Not a problem.” Edward’s eyes are fire as he opens the bag of ice and empties one of them into the waiting bowl. I take another one and put it into the freezer. With this we should definitely be fine for the rest of party now.

I hear the footsteps before I see her, and that’s the thing that puts me on edge. That’s the walk my mother uses when she’d pissed and determined, and when she enters the kitchen I don’t think that I’ve ever seen her this angry. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

The air in the kitchen goes completely still. “They brought the food,” I say. “Is something wrong?”

Mom doesn’t even acknowledge the fact that I’ve said anything. “You need to leave. You are not welcome here.” She walks past me, and I try to stop her.

My stomach drops. This is about Edward and me. It has to be. I can’t think of another reason that she would be this furious. “Mom, it’s okay. It’s really fine. I know that you don’t like it, but I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions. Edward and I love each other.”