Close to You by Kara Isaac

when she thought it was worth the effort, but when it came to her own children, she wouldn’t have a clue where to start. She cleared her throat. “Actually, since you mentioned it, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
    Allie braced herself. Don’t react. Whatever it is, don’t react. Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Whatever she says, you are Zen. You are a leaf floating on a gentle breeze—
    â€œHow would you feel about removing your father from the board of your grandmother’s trust? All it would take is a majority vote.”
    An expletive slipped out before Allie could stop it.
    â€œAllison Marie!”
    Allie clamped her mouth shut and forced herself to breathe through the red mist that had settled around her vision. When she trusted herself to speak, her voice came out clipped, controlled. “Mother, I’m not entirely sure what alternative reality you’ve decided to reside in, but he’s the most competent trustee out of all of us.”
    Not that this was even the question. Her father’s big mistake had been to be caught having an affair in such a fashion that her mother couldn’t ignore it and was now punishing him through whatever avenue she could conjure up short of public shaming. And not that Allie was in any way, shape, or form pro-­adultery, but she did have some sympathy for him. She imagined he would have found a warmer bed for the past thirty-­something years if he’d shared it with the iceberg that sank the Titanic .
    Not to mention she knew her mother had engaged in at least one—ahem—“liaison” during their marriage. Like that was something Allie ever wanted to think about. As far as she was concerned, the fact that one child had sprung from her parents’ union, let alone two, was right up there alongside Jesus turning water into wine as far as miracles went.
    Frosty silence was all that was coming from the other end. Veronica James-Shire was not a woman used to being told no.
    â€œI am not being your piggy in the middle and Susannah shouldn’t be either. You and Daddy can sort out your marriage however you like, but none of those options involve including me.”
    â€œYou always take his side.”
    Allie stayed silent and let the accusation roll over her. Her mother didn’t even want to think about what it would look like if Allie took her father’s side. With the things she knew, shecould write an affidavit that would make her mother’s immaculate bob, blow-dried twice a week at the most exclusive salon in town, stand on end.
    â€œDon’t you care how humiliated I was? I’ve spent thirty-five years raising his children and supporting his career and this is what I get?”
    Allie sighed. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. I never have and I never will. You are both my parents and I love you equally. But this is between the two of you.” She had used the lines her shrink friend, Jillian, had provided so many times over the years, they now tripped off her tongue automatically. “Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
    â€œActually, yes. You really upset your sister with that comment you made about Derek helping them with Grant’s campaign.”
    What had possessed her to even ask? Done. She was done, done, done with this discussion. She reached back into the barrel of conversational tricks Jillie had provided. “That’s between Susannah and me. If she’s upset and would like to talk about it, she has my number.”
    Silence at the other end. Excellent. “Okay, well, if that’s all, I need to go. Good-bye, Mother.”
    It took every ounce of control she possessed for her to set her phone down on her bed. It probably wouldn’t survive another high-impact wall adventure. Then she picked up her pillow and held it over her face so she didn’t scare the animals outside her window with her