It's Not About You by Olivia Reid

you step one foot in my yard, you will be arrested."  
    "You'd ruin my Thanksgiving and embarrass me in front of my daughter and make this the worst holiday of my life?"  
    He wasn't listening. He was trying to make this more than what it was. He was trying to make it about him. Just like always. "Burt, it's not about you. It's never about you, don't you get it?"
    The sliding door moved. "Hey Grace…you want to keep the green beans?"  
    I turned and looked at them. "Yeah…I can heat them up for lunch."  
    Michael smiled, pointed to the phone and arched his brows. I shook my head and motioned him back in.  
    "Who's that?"  
    "It's Kyle."  
    He was quiet for a second and I thought I was going to get a reprieve. Then, "You won't get away with this, Grace."  
    "You threatened to invade my house when I told you that you were not welcome."  
    "Wait till I tell Tanae what you're doing."  
    I started to tell him what Tanae said, about how she didn't want her father to ruin Thanksgiving with his constant complaining about his job, or his ability to start an argument where there wasn't one.  
    Or to have him start his accusations of how I locked him out of his daughter's life. She knew this was the baggage he carried around and would open it and expose it no matter what.  
    "That's fine. Good night, Burt. Don't call me again." I disconnected and got as far as getting inside the house and shutting the door behind me before the phone rang again.  
    I looked at the number as I entered the kitchen and punched the answer and then disconnect button.  
    When I set it on the island, the damn thing rang again.
    "What the hell?" Michael said as he set dishes in the dishwasher. "Is that the same person?"  
    "Yes."  
    "Let me guess…ex-husband?"  
    "How did you know I had an ex?"  
    He shrugged and shut the dishwasher as I shut the phone off. "I checked your Facebook page."  
    "Right…and it says divorced. Dammit. I meant to flip that back to Choose One."  
    He leaned back against the sink and braced his palms on either side. "Sucks doesn't it? When the labels on a site like that don't come close to the truth of where you are, and who you are?"  
    I stared at him. Had I not just had this apostrophe recently? Wait…did I write it in Facebook? Is that how he knew?  
    My cellphone started buzzing in my purse. I knew it was Burt, even though I'd blocked his number. He was using a new number now. Maybe even a prepaid. I put my hands to my face and waited until it finally stopped. With a few choice words I yanked it out of my purse and blocked the bastard's new number.  
    "I take it something happened he didn't like." Michael rocked forward and crossed his arms over his chest. It was a slightly defensive gesture. "Was that him at the coffee shop today?"  
    At the coffee shop? I had to think of who he could mean. Then, "Oh! Detective Taylor? No." I laughed nervously. "He's just a good friend. We dated for a few weeks after Burt and I separated, but it didn't go anywhere."
    Michael looked relieved. I mean really relieved and he lowered his arms and put his hands to his face. "Just friends? Wow. Okay. Man…isn't it weird how your imagination just takes situations into the strangest of places?"
    "Yeah…like me watching you walk out of there with Mary and thinking you were just looking to get into some Hoochie Mama's pants."  
    A few beats of silence followed Michael's jaw dropping, then he filled the kitchen with laughter. He removed his glasses and set them on the counter as he took a paper towel from the roll and wiped at his eyes. "Hoochie…Mama? I've never heard anyone actually use that phrase in a way that worked."  
    I started laughing too. And then I couldn't stop. It was like something just burst inside of me. I leaned against the refrigerator and laughed. I laughed until it hurt and I couldn't laugh anymore.  
    After I caught my breath and wiped tears from my eyes—tears I didn't know I'd shed—I felt arms wrap